​A new increase in cigarette prices and the expansion of “smoking-free areas” on beaches, parks and near schools: the French government presented a new plan to combat smoking on Tuesday, AFP reports, citing Agerpres.

This new national anti-smoking program for the period 2023-2027 is mainly based on the “consolidation of taxation and prohibitions related to tobacco”, said French Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau.

The aim is primarily to prevent the initiation of smoking, especially among young people, and better to help smokers to give up this vice.

“Increasing prices is very effective, this aspect is the subject of a world scientific consensus,” Aurelien Rousseau emphasized.

Many brands now reach prices of 11 euros for a pack of 20 cigarettes in France. The maximum price will be gradually increased to €13 by early 2027, with a first step of €12 in 2025.

France introduces a general ban on smoking in public places

Non-smoking areas marked by signs will be generalized at all beaches, public parks, forests and near some public places such as schools, Aurelien Rousseau announced, mentioning the possibility of fines.

“Smoke-free places – already more than 7,200 in more than 73 departments – are, above all, the result of a movement at the local level by municipalities. We are enshrining this principle, which is becoming an effective rule,” explained the French minister.

Daniel Nizri, president of the League Against Cancer, welcomed the decision:

“There was an urgent need to act on a large scale and generalize the ban on smoking in public places and, above all, near schools and in parks frequented by children.”

In addition, the sale of disposable vaping products popular among young people will be banned, the French minister announced, condemning “violations of health and the environment”.

With their sweet or fruity taste, bright packaging and low price, puffs can be found in the French market for around twenty marks. This is a cause for concern as health experts see them as a ‘gateway’ to smoking for teenagers.

The French government says anti-smoking measures have cross-party support

The ban will be introduced “thanks to a cross-party bill” to be debated in France’s National Assembly on December 4. An effective ban is expected no later than September 2024, sources close to Minister Russo said.

To support smokers who want to quit smoking, pharmacists will be able to prescribe nicotine replacement drugs. After an unprecedented decline between 2016 and 2019, smoking in France has stabilized, but there is a strong disparity among smokers depending on their social background.

In 2021, there were more than 12 million daily smokers in France, representing 25% of the population aged 18-75. Among young people, the prevalence of daily smoking decreased significantly from 25% to 16% between 2017 and 2021.

The new measures announced by the French government come less than two months after the British government led by Rishi Sunak announced plans to pass one of the world’s most restrictive anti-smoking laws.

But New Zealand, the first country in the world to pass a law banning the sale of cigarettes to younger generations, a project that has inspired other governments around the world, just announced this week that it was repealing the legislation.