ROME, Jan 10 (Reuters) - A new law banning smoking in almost all enclosed public spaces took effect on Monday in Italy.

Ireland began a trend for governments to restrict smoking with a sweeping workplace ban in March 2004, but U.S. states including Florida and California and the cities of New York and Boston have had similar bans since 2003. Bhutan last month became the first country in the world to ban all tobacco sales outright. Here is a short factbox on some countries which have banned smoking in some form. 2004 * March - Ireland imposes a nationwide ban on smoking in all workplaces, including pubs, bars and restaurants. * May - India bans smoking in public places, tobacco advertising in media and sales to minors, after statistics showed smoking killed 2,200 people in India a day. * June - Norway extends a ban on workplace smoking to bars and restaurants. * October - Hong Kong announces plans to extend a ban on smoking to bars, restaurants and offices. * November - Scotland announces plans to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces by early 2006. The British government announces plans for a public smoking ban across England and Wales from 2006. The ban will cover all enclosed public places and workplaces, restaurants, and pubs and bars serving food. * November - Russia's upper house of parliament approves a bill to restrict smoking in public places. The ban covers public transport and the workplace, and prevents the sale of tobacco in health, sports and cultural centres or near schools. * December - New Zealand extends a 1990 ban on smoking in offices, shops and public buildings to pubs, clubs, restaurants, and school grounds. * December - The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan bans smoking in public and prohibited tobacco sales, the first country in the world to do so. 2005: * January - Italy bans smoking in enclosed public spaces.

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