A ban on smoking in French public spaces came into effect today.
France's 15 million smokers will be banned from lighting up in workplaces, schools, airports, hospitals and other "closed and covered" public places.
More than 175,000 agents are to enforce the ban, handing out fines of €67 for smokers and €133 for employers who look the other way.
In a year, on January 1st, 2008, the ban will extend to cafes and restaurants.
The French move follows bans by Ireland, Italy and Sweden. The European Commission has urged all countries in the 27-member EU to introduce comprehensive bans, but how quickly the ban cuts real smoking levels remains to be seen.
"A world is collapsing," writer Philippe Delerm wrote in a front-page ode to the cigarette in Le Monde newspaper. "Those were good times. But nobody thought about the collateral damage."
There are 66,000 smoker deaths per year in France.
Agencies