The French government will ban smoking in most public places from February 1, 2007, with a total ban coming 11 months later - but casinos will be exempted.
The law will apply to "all closed and covered public places that receive the general public or which constitute places of work."
However, exempt from the ban until January 1, 2008, are "permanent establishments in which drinks are consumed, casinos, tobacconists, discotheques, hotels and restaurants."
The anti-smoking law came after an international study revealed that France possessed the sixth most-polluted air in public places in the world, behind Syria, Romania, Lebanon, Belgium and Singapore.
