Czech government passes bill banning smoking in public places

The Czech government on June 4 passed a bill to completely ban smoking in restaurants, concerts and dance parties.

According to Czech Health Minister Svatopluk Nemecek, the new bill will officially take effect from January 2016 after being approved by parliament.

Illustrative photo (Source: AFP/VNA)

Under the bill, tobacco and alcoholic beverages would also be banned from sale in vending machines.

Online sales of tobacco and alcohol are also restricted, and similar restrictions apply to e-cigarettes and vaping. Smoking is prohibited in cinemas, sports stadiums, schools, on public transport, train stations and bus stops.

The new bill also requires pubs and bars to offer at least one non-alcoholic drink that is cheaper than beer in their drinks menu.

Penalties for lawbreakers have also been tightened, for example, if authorities discover a drunken child in a bar, the bar must immediately close for two days.

The Czech Republic is one of the European countries that used to be "easy" on smoking and the smoking habit has become the 6th leading cause of death in this country.

Since 2006, smoking has been banned in schools, cinemas, theatres, gyms, civil service offices and public transport in the Czech Republic, while restaurants are required to clearly mark non-smoking areas or designated smoking areas.

A public opinion poll conducted by Ipsos in the Czech Republic shows that the majority of people support a ban on smoking in public places.

According to Vietnam+