German Push for Stricter Outdoor Smoking & Vape Bans
Following France’s move to expand its outdoor smoking ban effective July 1, 2025, German politicians, particularly from the SPD and Green parties, are renewing calls for stricter prohibitions on smoking and vaping in public outdoor spaces in Germany. The French law will ban smoking in areas frequented by children, such as beaches, parks, playgrounds, near schools, and at bus stops, with fines of €135, though it currently exempts café terraces and e-cigarettes.
SPD politician Dagmar Schmidt lauded France’s initiative as a “courageous step” for health and child protection that should serve as a model for Germany. “Whether on playgrounds, in parks, or at bus stops: children breathe the same air as adults, but their bodies are significantly more sensitive,” Schmidt stated, aligning with the EU Commission’s goal of a “tobacco-free generation” by 2040. The EU had previously suggested bans in amusement parks, outdoor pools, universities, and hospital exteriors.
The Greens also support stricter public smoking bans to protect non-smokers and children, with some advocating for even broader measures than France. Janosch Dahmen, spokesperson for the Greens’ parliamentary group, told Tagesspiegel, “A smoking ban in public places, as France plans, is right – also for Germany.” He noted France is further ahead with higher tobacco taxes and comprehensive advertising bans.
Unlike France’s current exemption for alternative nicotine products in its new outdoor ban, some German politicians like SPD health expert Dirk Heidenblut have previously emphasized that “No one should be involuntarily exposed to the harmful smoke of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and other vapor products,” suggesting bans should cover vaping wherever children and non-smokers are present. While these calls face some opposition citing overregulation and the use of tobacco tax revenue, the debate over more comprehensive smoking and vaping bans in Germany is expected to intensify.
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