"It's a very good measure": the president of the French Federation of Addiction welcomes the new rules against cigarettes

Minister Catherine Vautrin announced on Thursday, May 29, to the regional daily Ouest-France that the list of places prohibited for cigarette smokers would be expanded starting July 1. "Where there are children, tobacco must disappear," the government argued. "A very good measure," according to psychiatrist and addiction specialist Amine Benyamina, who is also president of the French Federation of Addiction.

"This is a measure that I can only welcome as an addiction specialist, and this is also the case for my colleagues," he rejoiced on BFMTV.

And for good reason: from July 1st, beaches, public parks and gardens, areas around schools, bus shelters, and even sports facilities will be banned from smoking areas.

While this measure aims, among other things, to protect non-smokers and reduce tobacco consumption among French people, the difficulty of quitting smoking remains. According to the latest figures from Public Health France for 2022, the number of smokers in France is estimated at 15 million, including 12 million daily smokers.

"We need to develop support and information spaces (...) we have the capacity to accommodate people in specialized structures," he says.

"You have the option of nicotine replacement therapy, patches (...) There are devices that have shown that you can overcome a very strong addiction."

To better support nicotine cessation and support smokers, Amine Benyamina suggests a potential increase in government resources for prevention and care.

The same goes for alcohol, the second leading cause of death after tobacco, according to the specialist. "There are advertisements around middle and high schools that trivialize and encourage alcohol consumption."

"Alcohol is a terrible scourge," warns Amine Benyamina, indicating that alcohol prevention policies are "virtually non-existent" or "very discreet."