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In west Germany, for instance, taxi driversknown for their independencepost signs saying Nicht Raucher and may refuse passengers who insist on smoking. . . Bans in Poland prevent smoking in factories, offices, snack bars, and other public places. . . And Venezuelans can be fined $ 230 to $ 1,000 for smoking in supermarkets, buses, and numerous other places. Many countries also are moving in step to limit tobacco promotion and eliminate the false claims of the glorification of smoking as a habit.. . says Jean de Moerloose of the United Nations World Health Organization.

While a majority of countries have taken little or no action yet, some 30 nations have introduced legislative steps to control smoking abuse. Many laws have been introduced in other countries to help clear the air for nonsmokers, or to cut cigarette consumption.

In many developing nations, however, cigarette smoking is seen as a sign of economic progressand is even encouraged.

While it appears that in developed countries the consumption of cigarettes has become stabilized, there are some indications that it is still rising at a steady pace in Latin America, says Dr. Daniel J. Joly, an adviser to the Pan American Health Organization.

Despite progress in segregating nonsmokers and smokers, most countries see little change in the number of smokers. In fact, there is a jump in the number of girls and young women starting to smoke.