The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's legislature on Wednesday introduced smoking bans in some public places to provide citizens with "hygienic living environments," state media KCNA reported on Thursday.

The tobacco-prohibition law aims to protect the lives and health of its people by tightening the legal and social controls on the production and sale of cigarettes, KCNA quoted the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) as saying.

The plenary meeting of the Presidium of the SPA, held Wednesday, adopted the Tobacco-Prohibition Law and Revising and Supplementing the Law on Enterprises.

The President of the Presidium of the SPA Choe Ryong Hae presided over the meeting.

The law stipulates that smoking is banned in specific venues, such as political and ideological education centers, theaters and cinemas and medical and public health facilities, KCNA said.

It added that the law indicates penalties for violating the smoking rules. 

(With input from Reuters)