France primed for public vaping ban

E-cigarettes could be banned from enclosed public places in France after the country’s health minister recently reiterated her desire to tighten the laws around the use of these devices, according to a story in The Local.

Health Minister Marisol Touraine has previously given hints that she intended to introduce a law to crack down on the use of e-cigarettes, but now she has made her intentions clear.

“I am favorable to the banning [of e-cigarettes] in a certain number of public places where there are many people or where there are children or young people present,” Touraine said.

The minister said also she wanted certain outdoor public spaces to be declared completely tobacco-free by local mayors.

Her proposals will become clear when they are included as part of the next public health bill, set to be published this summer.

Currently people can use e-cigarettes in bars and restaurants, where traditional smoking is banned.

And employers have discretion as to whether or not to allow the use of e-cigarettes by employees in the workplace.