France's smokers greet the new ban with a Gallic shrug - by Jen Wainwright
Working all day in a haze of smoke while puffing away in the office became a thing of the past for French employees yesterday, when the country's smoking ban came into effect in offices, theatres, schools and public transport. While bars, cafés, restaurants and nightclubs have until January 2008 to implement the ban, any other enclosed "public space" is now obliged to prohibit smoking, forcing clusters of workers on to the streets to light up in the cold.
"We will be very firm with those who are unwilling to adhere to the law and who forget about the health of non-smokers," Xavier Bertrand, the Health Minister, said. Smokers who disobey the new law face a fine of €68 (£45) and employers who turn a blind eye to their staff smoking will be punished with €135.
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