News Feature

Croatia bans smoking in public places

20 October 2008

Croatia has adopted an anti-smoking law preventing people from lighting up in public places, the government ruled last Friday.

New legislation will come into force in six months time when smoking will not be allowed in any bars or restaurants, except for designated areas.

The government also plans to increase awareness of the dangers of smoking by ensuring tobacco companies carry warnings on their cigarette packets.

Andrija Hebrang, deputy of the ruling conservatives, said 3,000 non-smokers' lives a year can be saved through limiting the use of tobacco.

"There is no other law that could save so many people," he added.

According to the health ministry in Croatia, smoking kills 10,000 people each year and 32 per cent of the country's population are smokers.

Croatia is following other European countries by adopting the smoking ban and its national film centre recently joined the European Union's network of film promoters. ADNFCR-1197-ID-18834455-ADNFCR