Tourists heading to France this summer face tougher rules from July 1

Lawmakers in the country have passed new regulations that could affect those wanting to enjoy their vacations — here’s all you need to know

Vacationers heading to France this summer will need to be mindful of a new regulation kicking off in July. Breaking the the new rule could lead to a huge fine from local law enforcement.

From July 1, France will implement a comprehensive smoking ban in public areas, including beaches, parks, public gardens, school vicinities, bus stops, and sports venues. The initiative has been greenlit to help curb the harmful impact of smoking on young children.

Smoking is prevalent in France, with an estimated 16.4 million individuals aged 15 and above using tobacco products, as reported by the non-profit group Global Action to End Smoking. This move is part of a broader mission led by the country’s health minister Catherine Vautrin, who said in an interview to the French newspaper Ouest-France: “Tobacco must disappear where there are children.”

People who break the rules will be fined €135 ($154). Ms Vautrin mentioned that while the police would enforce the ban, the public would also be given an opportunity to “self-regulate.”

French authorities intend to actively enforce the new regulations, employing signage and public awareness campaigns to encourage compliance. This is an expansion of the existing rules across France, where smoking in restaurants and nightclubs has been banned since 2008.

Here in the US, 28 states including New York, California and Hawaii, as well as Washington DC, have laws prohibiting people from smoking cigarettes inside workplaces, restaurants and bars. Four states — Florida, Indiana, Louisiana and Nevada — have banned smoking in workplaces and restaurants but not bars, while North Carolina does not allow smoking in bars and restaurants only.

In addition, 20 states have laws prohibiting people from smoking e-cigarettes and vapes inside workplaces, restaurants and bars.

According to the CDC, exposure to second-hand smoke causes more than 41,000 deaths among non-smoking adults and an estimated $5.6 billion in lost company productivity each year. Furthermore, the American Lung Association claimed that the number of people who smoked in the US dropped by 26 per cent from 2009 to 2019, but acknowledged that 91 per cent of that decline was due to non-menthol cigarettes.

At the moment, people in France are still allowed to light up in outdoor sections of cafes and on bar terraces. E-cigarettes or vapes aren’t part of this prohibition, though France is reportedly planning to clamp down on vaping regulations soon.

Travelers looking for a puff can find solace in hotels that reserve some rooms for smokers. But travel blog French Riviera Traveller wrote that if you don’t make your preference clear, you’ll end up in a non-smoking room by default.

According to the BBC, data from the French Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction found that nearly a quarter (23.1 per cent) of the French population smoke every day. The National Committee Against Smoking in France pointed out that tobacco-related illnesses claim the lives of more than 75,000 smokers annually, accounting for 13 per cent of all deaths, reports Wales Online.

Furthermore, a recent survey by the French cancer association La Ligue Contre le Cancer revealed that almost 80 per cent of the French public supported a ban on smoking in public places like woodlands, beaches, parks, and terraces.