France, smoke forbidden on the beach and in public places frequented by children: what happens in Italy and in the rest of the world?

“Tobacco must disappear from the places frequented by children who have the right to breathe pure air.” Catherine VautrinFrench Minister of Health said it by announcing the measure just entered into force. There is, throughout the country, the ban on smoking on the beaches, in public gardens, in parks and also under the bus hedges, outside of libraries, swimming pools and schools. The terraces of bars and restaurants are excluded, in this first phase there are no penalties, which in theory should have been going from 135 to E750 euros, but are not mentioned in the Law published in the Official Gazetteand there is no prohibition on electronic cigarettes, more and more widespread among young people.

The French reaction

More than six in ten French are favorable to the ban on smoke in public places According to a survey published last May by the League against Cancer. The goal is to limit the damage caused by passive smoking, but also to discourage cigarettes more widely: in the world the consumption of tobacco causes more than 7 million deaths every year, 90 thousand deaths attributable to smoking in Italy, 75 thousand in France, among the last countries in Europe to introduce limitation measures and with still part of the population convinced of the right to cigarette, considered a symbol of French.

In Italy and in the rest of the world

In Italy, where for over twenty years the law has prohibited smoking within the premisesprohibitions similar to French for some time, even if not at national level: in Milan and Turin for parks and public places such as the bus stops, for public gardens in Rome. There are for children’s play areas in Austria, In Sweden since 2019 in all public places with the aim of being Smoke Free (below 5% of smoking adults) within this yearCalifornia has been in this pioneer like Australia with Melbourne.

The beaches

The question of the beaches is particularly felt: smoking is prohibited in Spain in Ibiza, Majorca and Barcelona. In our country, after Bibione, which in 2019 prohibited smoking on the beach, many other seaside resorts adopted the same ordinance, from Stintino to Rimini, to Puglia. The question is also environmental. Legambiente championship 63 beaches in 2025 for the investigation Beach Litter Finding an average of 7 butts every 10 linear meters of the beach. The ban on smoke on the beach does not exist nationally, only with local regulations of municipalities or individual shores or beaches.