Bad news for fans / addicts of smelly, cancer-causing nicotine-based products, good news for everyone else: as of September 1, another step in Germany's gradual move towards a general smoking ban came into effect, with smoking now banned by law on all forms of public transport. This includes all of Deutsche Bahn's trains, which no longer have smoking compartments or carriages, and taxis. Smoking has also been banned on all stations except the 330 largest, where it is only permitted in strictly limited areas.

(Before this law came into effect, most local transport companies such as Berlin's BVG had already put smoking bans into place. The main difference is that these bans are now backed by federal law).

A smoking ban in Berlin's restaurants, cafes and other entertainment establishments will come into effect on January 1, 2008.

Posted at 9:51 AM in