Tents spared in German smoking ban

A partial smoking ban in Germany will not affect Bavaria’s famous Oktoberfest beer tents, the Associated Press reports.

The southern state of Bavaria has made exceptions for its beer tents in a partial smoking ban that will come into force on Jan. 1, 2008. Lower Saxony and Baden-Württemberg have banned smoking in restaurants, hospitals, schools and state offices, but local laws allow designated smoking rooms. In Munich, the Hofbraeuhaus beer hall intends to set aside special areas for smokers.

A separate nationwide smoking ban came into force in September and affects public transport and federal buildings. The age limit for buying cigarettes has been raised from 16 to 18 years old. The German ban does not go as far as the near-total bans recently implemented in Ireland, Britain and Italy.