RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: Add France to that list. Beginning tomorrow, France joins several other European nations in banning smoking in public places. The French government adopted the ban after figures showed smoking was on the rise, and that an estimated 5,000 people a year die of secondhand smoke. Eleanor Beardsley reports.</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Unidentified Man: (French Spoken)</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Paris.
A smoking ban begins Thursday in French schools, hospitals and youth centers. It will take effect in restaurants, workplaces and other public areas in 11 months. A large majority of the French say they approve the ban, which will bring France in line with a trend among European countries.