The Latest Breaking News from Catherine Vautrin

But the ban does not cover e-cigarettes, and smoking on cafe terraces will still be permitted

The ban follows similar measures across an increasingly smoking-averse Europe

A breach of the ban — which is part of France's wider National Tobacco Control Programme, announced in November 2023 — could be punishable with a €135 fine.

France will ban smoking in all outdoor places that can be accessed by children, including beaches, parks and bus stops, the health and family minister has announced, ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Saturday.

Smoking at beaches, parks, bus stops, and sports venues will be banned from July 1

France will ban smoking in all outdoor places that can be accessed by children, including beaches, parks and bus stops, the health and family minister announced Thursday.

France’s lower house of parliament has passed a draft law that would allow adults with incurable illness to end their lives with medical help under strict conditions.

The bill, which received 305 votes in favour and 199 against, will be sent to the Senate for further debate but a definitive vote on the measure could take months.

French deputies vote on a controversial right-to-die bill on Tuesday, the first step in a lengthy parliamentary process to legally grant patients medical assistance to end their lives in clearly defined circumstances.

French MPs are once again debating assisted suicide, as an end of life bill restarts its legislative process after it was interrupted by President Emmanuel Macron’s dissolution of parliament last year. Lawmakers in committee also adopted a bill on palliative care, which was initially part of the end-of-life legislation.

A landmark legal case is bringing national attention to the growing crisis in France’s public hospitals, as ministers face accusations of moral harassment and manslaughter following a series of suicides linked to worsening working conditions.