BERLIN, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- A German ban on smoking in all trains, buses and taxis took effect Saturday, forcing smokers to butt their cigarettes or face a $1,360 fine.
The ban also forces smokers in railway stations and federal buildings to use designated smoking rooms or areas, Deutsche Welle reported Saturday.
A spokesman for German rail company Deutsche Bahn said travelers will be reminded about the new rules at regular intervals for the first few days of the ban. He said smokers will be asked "in a friendly but definite" manner to extinguish their smoking materials before the police are brought in.
The new legislation also bars sales of cigarettes to children under the age of 18 -- a two-year increase from the previous smoking age, 16. Under-18 smokers are also now banned from smoking in public.
German Health Minister Ulla Schmidt expressed hope Friday the new laws would send a message to smokers, but Deutsche Welle noted smoking is still common at schools, hospitals and many other public sites throughout the nation.
