France bans smoking in public places, fine of Rs.13,000 to be imposed on violators

Paris: In a much welcome move, the French government shall ban smoking in public places and shall impose a fine of as much as Rs.13,000 to be imposed on violators.

According to reports, the new restrictions shall come into effect on July 1. It shall be an attempt and a mass effort to limit tobacco use in public spaces.

The ban will cover a wide range of outdoor locations, such as beaches, public gardens, areas outside schools, and public transportation stops. However the exemption shall be the outdoor areas of restaurants called terrasses.

A recent report by the France cancer association said that almost 80% of French people are in favour of a ban on smoking in public places like woodland, beach, parks and terrasses.

It is worth mentioning that, smoking in restaurants and nightclubs has been banned in France since 2008. Most of the municipalities in the country have voluntarily banned smoking since long.