Breathe easier — literally.
Today, Saturday, June 8, a ban on smoking in 46 of Paris’s parks and gardens goes into effect. The total tobacco-free green spaces in the city now numbers 52. The goal of the ban is to two-fold: reduce the number of smokers, and reduce the number of cigarette butts littering the ground.
Before the asthmatics get too excited about their new freedom to roam, the cigarette-free spaces only represent 10% of Paris’s total number of parks and gardens.
For the first few weeks, city officials will be stationed at park entrances to remind people they can’t smoke in the park. Informational plaques on the ban will be installed along with ashtrays for people to stub out on before entering. After the transition period, the rebels who choose to light up in any of these smoke-free spaces will be handed a 38 euro fine. Those caught throwing a cigarette butt on the ground will be hit with a 68 euro fine.
This isn’t the mayor’s first smoke-free initiative. The city’s 500 children’s playgrounds have been free of smoking since 2015, and in February the mayor’s office announced their intention to create cigarette-free streets.
Here’s the list of all the smoke-free parks and gardens in Paris.
2nd arrondissement: Square Louvois; Square Jacques-Bidault
3rd arrondisssement: Square du Temple-Elie Wiesel, square Leonor-Fini, square Émile-Chautemps, jardin Léopold-Achille, jardin Anne-Frank, jardin Madeleine-de-Scudéry
4th arrondissement: Square Langlois; square Schweitzer; square Galli; le clos des Blancs-Manteaux
5th arrondissement: Square St Médard
6th arrondissement: Square Gabriel Pierné
8th arrondissement: Jardin Marcel Pagnol
9th arrondissement: Square Montholon; Square d’Estienne d’Orves; Square Berlioz; Square Alex Biscarre; Square d’Anvers
10th arrondissement: Square Juliette Dodu; Jardin Ylmaz Güney
11th arrondissement: Square Maurice-Gardette; Jardin de la Folie-Titon
12th arrondissement: Jardin Trousseau; Square de la Croix Rouge; Square Jean Morin
13th arrondissement: Square Henri Cadiou; Jardin de la Poterne des peupliers; Jardin aux Mères; Square Michelet; Square Héloise et Abélard
14th arrondissement: Square Wyszynski; Square Lemire (both adjoining with the cigarette butt-free street rue Pernety)
15th arrondissement: Square Dupleix; Square Pablo Casals; Square Chérioux; Square Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat; Square Cambronne; Square Violet; Parc Georges Brassens; Square Alleray Quintinie; Square du Clos Feuquières; Square des Cévennes
16th arrondissement: Square Lamartine
17th arrondissement: Square des Batignolles
18th arrondissement: Square Hélène Jourda; Square Léon-Serpollet (Cloÿs)
19th arrondissement: Square de la Place de Bitche
20th arrondissement: Square du Docteur Grancher; Jardin Léon Zygel; Square Sarah Bernhardt
Featured image: Stock Photos from Axente Vlad /Shutterstock
