Czech Chamber of Deputies approves anti-smoking bill

Czech Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the parliament, on Friday passed the final version of the anti-smoking bill, under which smoking in all restaurants, pubs and other similar facilities will be fully banned as of May 31, 2017, a day that is marked as World No Tobacco Day.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka welcomed the passage of the bill.

According to the bill, cinemas, theatres, concert and exhibition halls will not be able to have smoking rooms. Smoking will also be banned in health care facilities, except for closed psychiatric wards. The ban will be extended to unroofed parts of public transport stops and zoos, where smoking corners will be allowed.

However, shopping centers and airports can keep their smoking rooms, and smoking will not be regulated in restaurants' gardens and other outdoor premises. At present, the restaurant owners can decide whether smoking will be allowed there. They can also have separate smoking and non-smoking areas.

The bill restricts electronic cigarettes in a similar way to traditional cigarettes.

Prime minister Sobotka said the approval of the bill means the victory of the protection of people's health over commercial interests. Czech Health Minister Miloslav Ludvik said this legislation is crucial to restrict the children's smoking in the country.

The bill was supported by 118 out of the 163 deputies present in the chamber, it has been passed to Senate for approval. If approved, it will be submitted to Czech President Milos Zeman to sign into force. Endit