FRANCE:France joined European neighbours yesterday in banning smoking in cafes, hotels and clubs, with several German states imposing similar restrictions.
The French ban follows last year's crackdown on smoking in offices and public places. Six of Germany's 16 states, including Berlin and Bavaria, widened restrictions previously limited to train stations and federal buildings.
Governments are carrying through commitments first initiated 23 years ago in the European Union's public health plan. France is doing so in a bid to curb healthcare spending as part of a broader push to restrain its budget deficit.
Ireland, Britain, Norway, Malta, Finland and Italy have already banned smoking in public areas. In France and Germany, more than 200,000 people die each year from tobacco. The new restrictions have been criticised by smokers' groups, restaurant associations and civil liberties organisations. About a quarter of Germans, some 20 million people, smoke. - (Bloomberg)