Smoking ban goes into effect in France [View All]

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Source: AP

PARIS - France's most drastic measure to curb smoking went into effect Wednesday with a full ban on lighting up in cafes, restaurants and discotheques, a sea change for a country where the cigarette came to symbolize the French way of life.

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Under the measure, those caught lighting up inside face a $93 fine, while owners who turn a blind eye to smoking in their establishments face a $198 fine.

About a quarter of France's 60 million people smoke. The Health Ministry said one in two regular smokers dies of a smoking-related illness here, and about 5,000 nonsmokers die each year from secondhand smoke.

Banning smoking everywhere but in private homes and in the streets is the latest measure in a progressive crackdown that began 15 years ago with the start of steady price hikes on cigarettes and a requirement that public places create nonsmoking areas — the first curb on smoking in cafes.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20080102/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_france_smoking_ban_1