The Czech Republic marked World No Tobacco Day on 31 May by implementing a ban on smoking in public places including bars, restaurants and sports stadiums, the Associated Press said.

The ban, which also applies to cafes, cinemas and threaters, faces a court challenged filed by a group of lawmakers, the AP said. Seventeen of 28 European Union member states reportedly have implemented comprehensive smoking bans and it appears only one, Slovakia, still allows smoking in bars, according to EU data cited in the report.