Czech Republic: President Zeman To Sign Anti-Smoking Law If Parliament Passes It

Source from:  Prague Daily Monitor (cz) 01/22/2015

Czech President Milos Zeman will sign an anti-smoking bill into law if lawmakers pass it, his spokesman Jiri Ovcacek said yesterday.

A change to the valid law has been submitted by the government ANO movement, but the Chamber of Deputies interrupted the debate on it in October.
The Health Ministry is also preparing a broader legislation.

ANO's bill extends the list of places where smoking is banned with public catering facilities.

The authors of the bill say the public is prepared for the restriction and that this will involve no costs for restaurants' operators.
Almost all European countries restrict at least partially smoking in public. The Czech Republic is among the more benevolent. Since 2006 smoking has been banned from schools, cinemas and theatres, sports halls, civil service offices and public transport.

Restaurants have been obliged to be marked as smoking, non-smoking or having separated areas for smokers since 2006. Attempts to further tighten the tobacco legislation have not been successful as yet. Enditem