THE ISLE of Man has followed in the footsteps of the UK and introduced a ban on smoking in public places.
As of 5am on Sunday 30 March it became illegal for patrons or workers to light up in restaurants, pubs, bars and hotels.
However Manx law has kept the same stipulations as England in allowing smoking in designated hotel rooms. The maximum penalty for those that allow smoking in non-smoking areas is £5,000.
A smoking ban on the crown dependency comes nine months after the UK adopted a countrywide ban on smoking in public places. The smoking ban began in Scotland in March 2006 before being adopted last in England on 1 July 2007.