Government approves broadened anti-smoking bill

Anti-smoking legislation broadened to include a number of MP proposals from last week has been approved by the government and will once again be presented for debate in the lower house. The move was confirmed by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka on Monday. According to the prime minister, the legislation, which bans smoking in restaurants and pubs and other areas, could go into effect in January 2017. The previous inception was shot down last week following the passing of a proposal by Civic Democrat Marek Benda for restaurants to be allowed to provide special rooms for smoking on the premises. The failure to pass the bill led to a rift in the ruling coalition. Health Minister Svatopluk Němeček has pushed for legislation regulating smoking to be passed in the Czech Republic to limit, for example, the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Author: Jan Velinger