Croatia Gives Smoking Ban Another Try
Text by Balkan Insight
The ban on smoking in bars starts on April 9. It will be the second time the country has tried to adopt non-smoking rules in bars.
The anti-smoking law first went into effect on May 6, 2009, and a ban on smoking in bars lasted for 156 days. But, because of the financial crisis, the government decided to allow smoking in bars until April 9, 2010.
According to the new regulation, all bars larger than 50 square meters will have to have separate smoking and non-smoking areas and better ventilation systems.
Bars smaller than 50 square metres can decide whether to allow smoking but will need special ventilation systems if they do. They will also need permission from the Ministry of Health to allow smoking.
The ministry has received only 16 requests so far, according to daily Vecernji. It is assumed that many of them will use outdoor terraces as smoking areas and wait until autumn to ask for the ministry’s permission.
This article is courtesy of Balkan Insight, the online publication of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, which contains analytical reports, in-depth analyses and investigations and news items from throughout the region covering major challenges of the political, social and economic transition in the Balkans.
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excellent smugs
