“We cannot let 200 people die per day”, warns the Minister of Health

“Tobacco causes 200 deaths per day. We must react“, alert Aurélien Rousseau, Minister of Health, on franceinfo this Wednesday. The price of a packet of cigarettes will increase to 12 euros in 2025, then 13 euros in 2026. This is “a public health measure“, he insists.

“We can’t let 200 people die a day“, he assures. “If at the end of the implementation of this plan, there are 10, 20, 50 or 100 fewer people per day who die from the effects of tobacco, this will have been a success.“, for the Minister of Health. But, “it can’t work if it’s just punitive“, we must therefore rely on a “support plan” so that it is a year “where collectively, we stop smoking.”

“Counterfeit system”

Furthermore, the Minister of Health returned to the extension of the number of tobacco-free spaces, particularly to beaches, parks and around public places. Aurélien Rousseau calls this on franceinfo “in common sense“and at”civics“.”Only in France do we smoke next to schools“The objective: to protect.”the most fragile”.

Smoking is prohibited in these spaces and therefore there will be “a criminal system“, but “the goal is first and foremost civics“, he clarified.