Overview

• The June 28 decree outlaws smoking from July 1 in parks, beaches, sports venues, bus stops and within a 10-metre radius of schools, libraries and swimming pools.
• Electronic cigarettes are explicitly exempt from the new outdoor smoking restrictions.
• Violators face fines ranging from €135 to €700, with authorities planning an initial grace period as the rules are rolled out.
• Local municipalities will delineate and signpost the precise perimeters of smoke-free zones in the coming days.
• The measure forms part of Health Minister Catherine Vautrin’s 26-point National Anti-Tobacco Programme aiming for a smoke-free generation by 2032 amid 75,000 annual tobacco-related deaths.