Deathwatch 2007: Smoke Em If You've Got Em

As of Wednesday, if you're caught lighting up in a Paris Cafe, it'll cost you 450 Euros (about $660 with today's exchange rate). France, where one in five residents is a smoker, is extending the legislation introduced in February of this year banning smoking in hospitals, schools, airports and public workplaces to essentially what we have in New York now: No smoking indoors anywhere.

As a smoker myself (who's been half assed toying with the idea of quitting for some time now), I wasn't sure how I'd react when Bloomberg instilled our city's ban back in 2002. I have to say though, I'm thankful he did. I think back now to where you could smoke and wonder what the hell were they thinking? It's so much nicer to go out at night and not have to breathe through a cloud of haze (makes nursing a hangover the next day that much easier, too). And restaurants? My God...world of difference.

So you go outside for a smoke. No biggie.

Ireland, of all places, had the next big banning announcement. If the Irish can do it, we bloody well could was Britian's answer earlier this summer (ironically the day this smoker arrived in Merry Ole England for a vacation). Italy, Spain and Belgium have also instituted bans.

So to France, you're in good company. Embrace the ban. It truly will make life better. Oui, oui.