France will ban smoking on beaches, in parks, outside schools and in other locations to protect children, France's health and families minister said. The ban will come into effect in July, Catherine Vautrin said in an interview with the Ouest France newspaper late on Thursday.

If you're heading to France this summer, strolling through sun-dappled Parisian gardens, lounging on the Côte d’Azur, or hiking the Alpine trails, there's a new policy you should be aware applying to both travelers and locals alike.

France will ban smoking in all outdoors areas frequented by children, including beaches, in parks and outside schools from July.The ban, which follows similar measures across an increasingly smoking-averse Europe,