In a similar move to the French, authorities in Germany have banned smoking in cafes bars and restaurants effective from today. The Germans however have been more lenient than the French in its enforcement. Berlin has decreed that a grace period should be allowed, and the ban will not be enforced for the first six months of 2008.

France by contrast plans to be pretty tough on any transgressions, with fines of Eu750 being handed out to restaurateurs who allow smoking inside the premises (outside areas are exempt) and individual fines of Eu450 to each smoker. Today is allowed as a grace day for France, but tomorrow 2nd January 2008 the restaurant smoking ban will be in full force.

In 2006 the German government of Chancellor Angela Merkel was forced to distance itself from implementing a smoking ban because anti-legislation supporters claimed federal government lacked the power to regulate smoking at the individual state (länder) level.

Smoking has been banned in Ireland since 2004, thereafter followed by UK Italy and Spain.