France’s new anti-tobacco plan will increase the number of non-smoking outdoor places to include beaches, parks, forests, and some public buildings. Photo credit: PxHere.
Starting in 2024, smoking will be banned in France’s beaches, public parks, forests, and around certain public buildings such as schools. Cigarette prices will also be raised to €13 in 2027, from the current price of €11. These measures are part of the health ministry’s national anti-tobacco plan for 2023-2027, with the aim of creating a tobacco-free generation by 2032.
According to health minister Aurélien Rousseau, 12 million people, or a quarter of France's adult population, use tobacco. Eurostat data show that around 22.2% of French people aged 15 and above smoke daily, higher than the EU average of 19.7%.
The cigarette price hike is expected to increase gradually, from €10-11 now to €12 in 2025 and €13 in 2027.
The government also intends to outlaw "puffs," which are disposable, single-use e-cigarettes that are popular among young people but have a heavy impact on the environment and public health, according to Rousseau.
In a statement, Rousseau said, "An essential part of these new measures is that support for smokers will be strengthened because successfully quitting smoking is not easy.”
According to Rousseau, the government aims to continue "de-normalizing" smoking in outdoor environments by establishing smoking-authorized spaces as the exception rather than the norm. Smoking has been strictly forbidden for more than a decade inside most public spaces, including restaurants, cafés, and clubs.
The government also wants to expand the plain packaging requirement, which currently applies to cigarette packs, to all tobacco and vaping products.