Dominique de Villepin, the French prime minister, last night announced that France would become the latest country to ban smoking in public places, while also offering financial aid to smokers who wanted to quit.

In a televised interview, Mr de Villepin said a ban would come into force on February 1 2007. But customers of bars, cafés, restaurants, discos and casinos could still smoke until the start of January 2008.