France wants citizens to just say non to smoking

PARIS - Advancing a nationwide antismoking campaign, the French Senate passed a law Thursday banning the sale of cigarettes to minors under 16 and raising the price per pack for the second time this year.

The bill on teen smoking had already cleared the National Assembly, Parliament's lower house.

Under the new law, tobacco vendors will face a fine of $170 for selling cigarettes, tobacco or rolling paper to anyone under 16. Lawmakers backed down from an earlier proposal to jail violators for a year, revoke their licenses and fine them more than $4,000 for selling tobacco to underage kids.

The law was expected to take effect this year but a precise date was not immediately set.

In January, the government raised cigarette taxes by 11 percent. After the price increase, cigarette sales in France dropped 7.7 percent in the first half of 2003, according to government figures.

The new bill raises government taxes imposed on each pack by 3 percent, to a total of 62 percent of the total price. Brand-name cigarettes in France generally cost about $4.50 a pack.

The law also prohibits sales of "children's packs," which have fewer than 19 cigarettes and are popular among youths because they are cheaper.

The bill is part of a larger campaign to reduce tobacco consumption by 30 percent among youngsters and by 20 percent among adults during the next five years. New enlarged warnings with "Smoking Kills" labels on packs are part of the campaign.

According to government figures, 40 percent of youngsters smoke regularly and 10 percent show signs of dependence.

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