France to ban smoking in public July 1

France will ban smoking in outdoor areas where children are likely to be present, starting July 1, 2025. This includes beaches, parks, bus stops, school entrances, and sports venues.

Health and Family Minister, Catherine Vautrin, made this known on Thursday, May 29.

“Tobacco must disappear where there are children.

“The freedom to smoke stops where children’s right to breathe clean air starts,” Vautrin told Ouest-France newspaper.