Beaches, gardens, outside schools: France to ban smoking in more public spaces

Smoking is to be banned on all public beaches, gardens and in several additional public places from this summer in France, it has been announced.

The ban will come into force from July 1 in public beaches, gardens, sports centres and grounds, bus shelters, and near schools, announced Health Minister Catherine Vautrin yesterday (May 29) in an interview with media outlet Ouest-France (paywall article). 

It will come into force via a ministerial decree to be published in the Journal Officiel.

In terms of the ban around smoking near schools, the government is working with the Conseil d’Etat (France’s highest administrative justice court) to establish the exact perimeter where the ban will be enforced.

It will also apply to students from the establishment, who are already currently banned from smoking inside schools but sometimes smoke outside school gates before entering.

“Where there are children, tobacco must disappear,” Ms Vautrin said, adding that the right to smoke “ends where children's right to breathe clean air begins.”

Those found smoking in these areas could be fined up to €135.

Nicotine limits set for 2026

The ban does not apply to e-cigarettes such as rechargeable vapes (disposable vapes are now banned in France), or on terraces such as beach cafés or bars. 

This is despite close to 70% of French people backing a ban on smoking on terraces, according to a recent survey. 

In some local municipalities, smoking is already banned in these locations – particularly on beaches. 

This is the case, for example, in Sables-d’Olonne (Vendée) where authorities banned smoking on the beach during the tourist season (April - September) two years ago . 

A future complete ban on under-18s smoking is being considered - it is currently illegal to sell tobacco to underage people. 

Ms Vautrin is also looking at lowering the maximum authorised amount of nicotine in tobacco products, as well as limiting the number of ‘flavours’, particularly of vapes (that can come with dozens of variations). 

She is waiting on “scientific and technical advice to finalise the details,” for these limitations, but they are expected to come into force in the first half of 2026. 

Santé publique France estimates that some 75,000 people a year in France die of tobacco-related causes.

The price of several tobacco items are set to increase in June – the third such price-rise this year.