Warsaw - Smokers in the Polish capital Warsaw will soon risk a hefty fine for lighting up at playgrounds or at tram and bus stops, Polish media reported on Friday.

A smoking ban will take effect in September and carries a fine up to 500 zloty (239 dollars) for illegal puffing in playgrounds and under covered public transport stops.

A similar law is already in effect in Krakow, where smoking is banned at bus stops and within a 15-metre radius of them.

But nicotine addicts in Warsaw should still be happy, the daily Dziennik reported: the law almost included a ban on smoking in city parks, but politicians abandoned the idea because it was hard to identify what constituted a park or square. (dpa)