Looks like humorist David Sedaris, who moved to France a few years back to escape New York's onerous anti-smoking laws, has given up smoking just in time. Starting on January 1st, France will no longer permit smoking in bars, cafes, restaurants, or discos. The ban will also cover casinos and hotels, according to the BBC, and is an extension of a ban that began in February which outlawed smoking in public places, including airports, railway stations, hospitals, schools, shops and offices.A smoke-free French café may sound like an oxymoron, but with similar bans already in place in Britain, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, tolerance for second hand smoke is clearly on the wane in Europe, even in the notoriously tobacco-tolerant culture of France.The French health ministry has gallantly declared that smokers will be given a 24-hour "grace" period permitting them to puff away through the New Year"the ban won't really be enforced till January 2nd. That may be cold comfort to French smokers; come January 2nd, the only places they'll be able to light up in public will be the outdoor seating at cafés and bistros or open-air terraces. Looks like humorist David Sedaris, who moved to France a few years back to escape New York's onerous anti-smoking laws, has given up smoking just in time. Starting on January 1st, France will no longer permit smoking in bars, cafes, restaurants, or discos. The ban will also cover casinos and hotels, according to the BBC, and is an extension of a ban that began in February which outlawed smoking in public places, including airports, railway stations, hospitals, schools, shops and offices.A smoke-free French café may sound like an oxymoron, but with similar bans already in place in Britain, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, tolerance for second hand smoke is clearly on the wane in Europe, even in the notoriously tobacco-tolerant culture of France.The French health ministry has gallantly declared that smokers will be given a 24-hour "grace" period permitting them to puff away through the New Year"the ban won't really be enforced till January 2nd. That may be cold comfort to French smokers; come January 2nd, the only places they'll be able to light up in public will be the outdoor seating at cafés and bistros or open-air terraces. 
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