From 1 January, smoking and vaping will be banned at train stations throughout Belgium, including on outdoor platforms, making the entire railway area smoke-free, reports The Brussels Times.

In order to implement the changeover smoothly, railway company SNCB launched an awareness campaign in stations and trains on 19 December. The messages were disseminated via posters, announcements and information screens, as well as via various digital channels. The measure is being implemented in all 550 railway stations in the country.
In terms of health, the measure helps to avoid unpleasant situations, as a tobacco-free environment protects passengers and railway staff from its harmful effects, the report said. This should also counteract copycat behaviour, especially among young people and children using the platforms. In addition, the measure also ensures more cleanliness as cigarette butts are no longer thrown on the platforms and tracks. Currently, cleaning the tracks and platforms requires complex logistics and involves very high annual costs.
The new measure does not distinguish between covered and open platforms, so the smoking ban will now simply apply to the entire railway area. France already introduced the measure in 2017, the Netherlands followed in 2020.
Moreover, this change is widely supported by rail passengers. According to a survey, 7 out of 10 travellers are in favour of smoke-free platforms.