Starting in July, France will ban smoking in various outdoor public places.

The French Ministry of Labor, Health, Solidarity and Family Affairs announced in a press release on the 30th that starting from July 1st of this year, the country will ban smoking in various outdoor public places in order to protect young people and achieve the goal of a "smoke-free generation." The press release stated that smoking causes 75,000 deaths in France every year. In 2023, 15.6% of 17-year-old teenagers in the country smoke every day. Additionally, 20,000 to 25,000 tons of cigarette butts are discarded in France every year, causing serious environmental pollution. The various social costs caused by smoking are estimated to be 150 billion euros annually. The press release cited data from the World Health Organization showing that even outdoor tobacco smoke causes 1.2 million premature deaths worldwide every year.