France Prepares To Stub Out Smoking in Cafes
Smokers in France can no longer puff on a cigarette over coffee as cafes, restaurants and nightclubs joining a nationwide ban on smoking as of January 1 according to a report by Agence France Presse.
Eleven months after smoking was outlawed in workplaces, schools, hospitals and shops, the ban was extended to bars and bistrots, with some owners predicting the demise of France’s lively cafe culture.
The ban will be gradually enforced which should be a welcome move for France’s 13.5 million smokers.
Supporters of the anti-tobacco drive point to France’s smooth transition to smoke-free workplaces in February as a sign that the country has become more health-conscious.
But some business groups representing cafe and restaurant owners are up in arms, demanding that restrictions be eased, especially in the countryside where banning smoking at the local “bar-tabac” is tantamount to an attack on the French lifestyle.
“It’s going to be a real mess,” said Rene Le Pape, a cafe owner in Brittany who is also president of the Confederation of Tobacconists, which represents about 30,000 members.
France’s latest smoking ban comes six months after Britain decided to make its pubs smoke-free and nearly four years after Ireland became the first European country to take a tough stance on outlawing smoking in public places.
Under the French ban, smokers who light up in a public place can be fined up to 450 euros (645 dollars) while business owners may face penalties of up to 750 euros.
Tobacco is the leading cause of avoidable death in France, with more than 5,000 deaths per year from second-hand smoke and an additional 66,000 from smoking directly, according to the health ministry.
In Paris’s chic Latin Quarter, Christian Azzopardi declared his Coupe Chou restaurant smoke-free last year and said the move caused very few ripples among his clientele.
“It really turned out to be nothing extraordinary,” said Azzopardi. “Some people sulked for a bit, but they got used to it.”
A Report by Chitra Mogul
John Alwyn-Jones
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements