France prohibits smoking in most public areas, promulgating stricter anti -tank laws with expensive fines

The iconic image of a smoker Parisian is becoming a thing of the past, since France has forbidden smoking in most public areas.

The new law of France dictates that tobacco must disappear when there are children, and parents, as well as the majority of the country, agree. Those who choose smoking in public in areas such as the beach or the park could face a fine. The prohibition also applies to bus shelters, areas near libraries, swimming pools and schools.

The offenders could face a fine of 135 euros ($ 160) up to a maximum of 700 euros ($ 826), according to the French news agency News. However, the Ministry of Health expects an initial grace period as the new rules enter into force this week.

For decades, illuminating a cigarette was less a vice than an environment, part of the cultural mixture. More than 200 people in France die every day of tobacco -related diseases, said Minister of Health, Catherine Vautrin, in a statement on Saturday. That adds up to 75,000 people who die for smoking every year, and the French government wanted the chapter to fade to black.

The prohibition aims to “promote what we call undenormalization. In people’s minds, smoking is normal,” said Philippe Bergerot, president of the French Cancer League, The News. “We are not prohibiting smoking; we are prohibiting smoking in certain places where they could affect the health of people and … young people.”

It has been illegal smoking in restaurants, bars and public buildings from a series of prohibitions in 2007 and 2008. The increasingly high taxes mean that a package now costs more than 12 euros ($ 14).

However, more than 30% of French adults still smoke cigarettes, most of them daily, one of the highest rates in Europe and worldwide. The Ministry of Health is particularly concerned that tobacco is popular among young people, citing public health statistics that show that 15% of 17 -year -old young people smoke. Cigarette trade in the black market is common.

There is a final refuge for smokers: in Café Terraces on many sidewalks.

Catherine Querard, president of the National Lobby of Restaurants in France, told News that the terraces are “a space of freedom.”

“The terraces are relationships, socialization and it is very important for us,” said Querard. They are also a pillar of the identity and economy of France. Querard says that a third of all Terrasse coffee sales occur outside.

Some smokers say they obtain the new prohibition, but others think that their right is being restricted.

“I am a smoker. I smoke because I am stressed, not because it is a pleasure,” said a smoker on Paris Street to News themezone. “For us, this is the last defense to smoke. But honestly? It is part of the freedom we enjoy in France. If you restrict that … another freedom disappears.”

The Association press contributed to this report.

• France
• Cigarette
• Tobacco