France to ban smoking on beaches and public parks

By Maya Szaniecki and Chris Liakos, CNN

(CNN) — France will ban smoking on beaches and public parks, the country’s health minister said on Tuesday, presenting a series of measures as the government looks to prevent 75,000 tobacco-related deaths per year.

The measures — part of a government plan to combat smoking — aim to create a “tobacco-free generation by 2032.”

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, French health minister Aurélien Rousseau said that smoking on beaches, public parks, forests and some other public spaces, including close to schools, will soon be banned in France.

The minister did not give an exact timeline but speaking to CNN-affiliate BFMTV, he hinted that people could face fines as early as next year.

Rousseau also announced a gradual price increase for cigarettes, saying that a packet would cost 12 euros ($13) in 2025, and 13 euros ($14) by 2027.

France had already said in September it would ban disposable e-cigarettes.

“What we want with this plan is to stop trivializing smoking,” Rousseau told BFMTV.

“The fun, leisure aspect of smoking has to go,” he continued, adding that “200 preventable tobacco-related deaths per day… is a number we should not get used to.”

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