France to introduce very strict new rules on every beach in the country
BRITS heading to France have been warned of a new smoking ban set to come into force across the country's beaches.
The ban comes amid an effort by the French President Emmanuel Macron to make the "first tobacco-free generation" by 2032.
The French Government will ban smoking at all beaches, public parks, forests, and other public spaces, as part of a national anti-tobacco campaign.
The proposal was presented by Aurelien Rousseau, the French Health Minister in a statement made to French journalists earlier today.
According to AP news, he said: "Beaches, parks, around schools -– lots of places had started these experiments and now, it’s true, we’re heading to a general rule to show our determination.
The legislation will be introduced from the start of next year in a bid to curb smoking in public spaces, including beaches.
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Precise details of the ban have yet to be released, but it's thought that fines will be levied to anyone caught flouting the new measures.
Aurelien Rousseau added: "From now on, no-smoking areas will be the norm."
The new measures will also see single-use disposable e-cigarettes banned.
There are currently more than 7,000 tobacco-free areas in France, which have been designated by local authorities across the country.
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Earlier this year, authorities in Spain also banned smoking at 28 beaches across the country.
Beaches at Spanish holiday hotspots in Majorca, Ibiza, and Menorca, as well as other parts of the country, banned holidaymakers from lighting up in a crackdown on cigarette butts.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Consumption said: "The objective of the campaign is to create a network of healthy beaches, understanding the Balearic coast as a playful space for the enjoyment of outdoor activities that enriches the health of the people who come, promoting smoke-free spaces."
Those tourists caught smoothing at one of the 28 beaches in the Balearics won't be fined.
Instead, Spanish authorities have appealed to a sense of collective "social responsibility" in a bid to keep beaches clean.
Last year, a similar ban was also introduced in Barcelona, with smokers facing fines if they smoked on any of the city's 10 beaches.
The Catalan capital was the first large city in Spain to outlaw smoking on all its beaches.
Holidaymakers who flout Barcelona's smoking ban will be fined £25.
Meanwhile, earlier this year the Italian resort town of Sant'Antioco in Sardinia introduced 23 controversial new restrictions.
