France supports extending smoking bans to more outdoor areas

The French health minister is among those to have supported calls for a change in European legislation to extend smoking bans to more outdoor areas including around hospitals and restaurant terraces.

Geneviève Darrieussecq supported the vote for changes to European legislation that would extend smoking bans to more public, outside spaces. She also agreed with calls to ban “all emerging products that generate addictions and poor health among young people”.

The proposal called for a ban on smoking and e-cigarettes in outdoor spaces such as around hospitals, school buildings, public transport stops, playgrounds and amusement parks, as well as café and restaurant terraces.

The vote was successful, with all Member States approving it, except Germany and Greece, who abstained. 

Germany said that this was because the decision is under the jurisdiction of its regions (Länder). Some do not support a ban on smoking on outdoor café and restaurant terraces. 

Greek health minister Adonis Georgiadis said he wanted to see more scientific data on the impact of electronic cigarettes and warned against “overly strict rules” in outdoor areas.

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E-cigarettes ‘should also be banned’

A similar vote to decide if e-cigarettes should also be included as part of extended bans was rejected by the European Parliament today (December 5), by 378 votes to 152.

This rejection was largely due to disagreement over the difference between electronic cigarettes and traditional tobacco which many MEPs said should not be considered the same.

Yet, proponents of the bill claim that electronic cigarettes and similar products should be banned in the same way as traditional tobacco. 

“Emerging products such as heated tobacco and electronic cigarettes, which are increasingly used by very young people, should also be banned,” said a statement from the European Commission. 

It cited the World Health Organisation (WHO) which recently warned of side effects of these products, including major respiratory and cardiovascular risks, linked to exposure to fumes.

While the Commission did emphasise that health policy is a matter for individual Member States, it advised them to implement these recommendations, “taking into account their national situation and needs”. 

The WHO estimates that more than eight million people per year are killed by smoking, of which 1.3 million die due to passive smoking (exposure to others’ smoking).

Read also: EU gives go-ahead for France to ban disposable vapes 

‘Smoke-free generation’

The European Union is aiming to achieve a “smoke-free generation” by 2040, and to have no more than 5% of the population still smoking. Currently, 24% of people across the bloc smoke.

Another French MEP, Laurent Castillo, who is also a doctor, has also shown his support for extending the ban in some places.

“It is essential to create smoke-free environments around schools and care centres to protect the youngest and most vulnerable,” he said to Capital. However, he is against the idea of banning smoking “on café and restaurant terraces”, he said.