Yves Bur,
Vice President, French National Assembly
French Minister and Vice President of the National Assembly, Yves Bur was instrumental in introducing the bill to ban public smoking in France.  A bold move, in a country famous for its “...cliché of the Frenchman standing up at the counter of a smoke-filled bar to drink his coffee, with a “Gauloise” cigarette in this mouth”.  But this image did not prevent the successful implementation of the ban, “...an undeniable step forward for public health.”  M Bur offers a 5-point approach toward successful implementation.

Nicolas Villain
Director of CNCT, France
M Villain’s work in introducing a total ban of public smoking led to contact with the media, a major article in Le Figaro and a live television debate with a representative of the hospitality industry.  The support of public opinion is said to be an important element by most of our protagonists.  Nicolas says that it is also important to maintain collaboration with the hospitality industry, remaining aware of their concerns even after the legislation has been passed, in order to continue to improve controls on public smoking and also to work for other health issues.