FOR years, anyone needing a nicotine fix in a German pub or French cafe didn’t even have to light up — the air was already so full of smoke that they only had to open their mouth and inhale.

SMOKING will be illegal in French cafes, bars and restaurants from January, 2008 under a ban announced by Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

France’s prime minister Dominique de Villepin has announced a ban on smoking in public places.