Smoking has now been banned in all public places in Scotland – including bars, restaurants and pubs.

The new legislation came into force at 6am yesterday morning (Sunday 26 March).

Businesses which fail to display warning notices at their premises and allow smoking face a fixed-penalty fine of £200 while individuals could be fined £50 for lighting up a cigarette indoors.

However, first minister Jack McConnell has publicly called health officers to go easy on any offenders during the first few days of the smoking ban, and suggested that warnings instead of fines should be used to avoid unnecessary upheaval.

“The implementation of the ban will be a mixture of great excitement and also difficulties on the ground,” he said.

According to figures from the British Medical Association (BMA), around 13,000 people die from tobacco-related diseases in Scotland every year.

Dr Peter Terry, chair of BMA Scotland, welcomed the new legislation.

“Smoke free legislation is a legacy which Scotland has given to its future generations,” he said.

”For years, Scotland’s pubs, restaurants and workplaces have been filled with deadly smoke which has contributed to thousands of deaths from cancer, heart disease and strokes.”

England, Northern Ireland and Wales are expected to follow suit and ban smoking in all public spaces in 2007.