In recent years, many countries around the world have made progress in their tobacco control policies. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been ratified by more than 150 countries, including France. The FCTC identifies key areas for tobacco control and the resulting measures that must be implemented (improved health warnings, protection against exposure to secondhand smoke, bans and restrictions on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, and tax increases). A rigorous and detailed evaluation of these measures is essential to reduce the overall cost of tobacco use worldwide. To this end, the "International Tobacco Control" (ITC) project has established prospective cohort studies on representative samples of smokers in 15 countries. The ITC France survey is a system for monitoring and evaluating tobacco control initiatives in France. This article presents a selection of results from the first wave (2006) in the areas of smoking behavior, regulations in workplaces and public places, and health warnings. Comparative analyses with various European countries are presented. The results suggest a favorable environment for implementing a ban on smoking in public places in France and potential positive impacts of future graphic health warnings on cigarette packages.