French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist told France 2 on the 3rd she supports a
lifetime ban on sales of tobacco products to people born in or after 2009. The
French national health insurance fund said in its annual report on the 2nd that
France is among Europe's highest smoking-rate countries and recommended
systematic anti-smoking measures to improve public health and cut long-term
public health spending, including prohibiting sales to those born in 2009 or
later to create a smoke-free generation. Rist said she 'personally strongly
supports' the fund's recommendation but stressed her personal view is not a
government decision; the government will consult 'all stakeholders' before
decide.
