EU Countries To Push For Outdoor Smoking And Vaping Bans

The EU is aiming to reduce its smoking population from around 25 percent now to less than five percent of the total by 2040 (Credit: AFP)

EU countries are poised to push for stricter anti-smoking rules on Tuesday, backing bans on smoking and vaping in many outdoor areas including playgrounds and cafe patios.

A recommendation inviting member states to crack down on second-hand smoke -- and vapour -- will be on the table as health ministers from the bloc's 27 nations meet in Brussels.