Belgium to extend smoking ban to amusement parks

Scheduled for 2025, the smoking ban in Belgian amusement parks has already been anticipated by several parks. French amusement parks are gradually preparing for this type of measure.

In Belgium, the tobacco control plan adopted in December 2022 provides for the expansion of smoke-free areas to various categories of establishments frequented by children, including zoos and amusement parks, from January 2025.

Two amusement parks, Plopsaland de Panne and Plopsa Coo, anticipated this legislation in April 2023 and partially implemented this smoking ban, although they provided five outdoor areas for smokers in one and three in the other. The manager of these parks, however, conceded that it was not always easy to enforce this ban on visitors.[1]Toverland Park implemented similar measures on the same date, but included seven outdoor smoking areas. Other parks, such as Bobbejaanland and Fraispertuis City, had implemented similar measures as early as 2020.

In France, a petition is calling for the generalization of this ban

In France, this type of measure is not yet being considered, but some voices are beginning to demand it. petition online campaign was launched in July 2023 to call for the generalization of this smoking ban in amusement parks.

Major theme parks, such as Disneyland Paris, Astérix, and Walibi Rhône Alpes, have already implemented this measure for several years, while providing numerous designated areas for smokers. According to François Fassier, director of the leisure parks branch of Compagnie des Alpes, "We're heading towards that, in the more or less long term. Smoking is increasingly becoming a source of tension for families. It's an underlying trend."[2]However, some parks, such as Futuroscope, Puy du Fou and Euro Park, still allow visitors to smoke in the alleys.

The smoking ban in amusement parks is similar to the ban on smoking in other open outdoor areas such as around schools, stadiums, parks and gardens, and beaches. This is a trend that affects all countries that have adopted protective measures against secondhand smoke. In support of these measures, authorities are emphasizing smoking prevention, while the goals of a tobacco-free generation are increasing, and the development of smoke-free places is also highlighted as an aid for smokers trying to quit. In this perspective, the installation of a limited number of smoking areas appears to be a transitional measure to accompany an extremely popular measure.

To learn more about the plan to combat tobacco in Belgium, read our decryption.

Keywords: smoking ban, Belgium, amusement parks, petition.

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[1] Plopsaland de Panne & Plopsa Coo parks become smoke-free, Androland, published March 30, 2023, accessed August 8, 2023.

[2] Belgium to ban smoking in its amusement parks: what if France did the same?, Ouest France, published August 7, 2023, consulted August 8, 2023.