Children’s play areas prohibited for smokers from this summer

It had been in the pipes for a long time, the Minister of Health, Marisol Touraine, formalized it this morning during a speech made during a visit to a Tobacco Info Service center.
A decree banning smoking in public play areas is expected to be filed by the end of June. The objective is to put in place a ban that would be effective everywhere in France from this summer.
This measure is one of the four main points that made up the great fight plan proposed by Marisol Touraine last year. In addition to this ban, the other flagship proposal would be the putting into circulation of neutral cigarette packs, without the slightest indication or color code recalling any brand.

A tougher tone against smokers

According to the minister, this proposal is “common sense”, it would be a “way to respect our children”. If this measure has already been implemented in Strasbourg and widely tested in Amiens and in certain districts of Paris, it must now be extended to all the municipalities in France. If this rule is not respected, the offenders could be fined (the ticket for smoking in a public place can be up to € 450). According to the press release from the Ministry of Health, the authorities wished to wait until summer came to make it easier for smokers to quit smoking.

Marisol Touraine also asked restaurant owners and cafeterias to commit themselves on a voluntary basis in favor of the “tobacco-free terraces” approach. An incentive which should lead to the creation of a distinctive logo. This measure would aim to protect citizens, but also tourists from the sometimes annoying and often toxic vapors of cigarettes.

Towards a total ban in public places

The decision to ban smoking in children’s play areas is in line with public opinion. Several surveys specified that the vast majority of French people (95%) considered that the ban on smoking should be extended to cars in the presence of children. It was also en masse that they approved a ban on smoking around schools and in parks and gardens dedicated to children. They were 84% to believe that such a decision would be desirable.

The fight against tobacco is a top priority for the government. And the efforts are still numerous since the figures published this week by Eurobarometer suggest an evolution of the number of smokers in France from 28 to 32% of the population. France is just above the European average, which has been declining for several years.