European states want to expand smoke-free zones

AFP/Archives – Fred TANNEAU

On Tuesday, European Union member states broadly supported a recommendation to ban cigarettes and other smoking products in strategic outdoor spaces: café terraces, bus stops, and around schools. An initiative applauded, except by Germany and Greece, which are stalling. 

24% of Europeans smoke, and the EU is aiming for a tobacco-free generation by 2040. The ambition is noble, but divergences are flourishing. As reported by the AFP, the European Parliament itself rejected a similar resolution, trapped by an opposition where individual freedom crosses partisan quarrels. French MEP Laurent Castillo, a doctor, nevertheless insists: “It is essential to create smoke-free environments around schools and health centers.” An emergency, recalls the WHO, which attributes 8 million annual deaths to tobacco, including 1.3 million linked to passive smoking. But between smokers clinging to their freedom and states jealous of their skills, the horizon is darkening.

For those defending restrictions, banning these areas is a matter of public health, especially in the face of the rise of electronic cigarettes among young people. “Emerging products generate addictions and degrade the health of future generations,” insists French Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq. However, the European Commission admits that the States will keep control over their implementation.

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