Tobacco Facts.

A new no-smoking sign on the door to a bar in Zagreb on May 8, 2009. Croatian bar and restaurant owners protested on Saturday a new tough law banning smoking in public places claiming it was ruining business and needs to be amended.

Croatian bar and restaurant owners protested on Saturday a new tough law banning smoking in public places claiming it was ruining business and needs to be amended.
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Since the anti-smoking law was adopted earlier this month, bars and restaurants, especially those without terraces, reported a “significant decrease in business,” an association of some 16,000 owners said in a statement, according to the state-run HINA news agency.
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The law should be amended to “prevent the collapse of the sector,” they said.
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The association is proposing that establishments smaller than 50 square metres (538 square feet) and serving only drinks should be allowed to decide whether they will be a smoking or non-smoking location.
.
The bigger establishments should be allowed to allocate 30 percent of their space for smokers where they would be allowed to serve food and drink.
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Croatia, whose economy relies on tourism, has some 5,800 restaurants and almost 10,000 bars, mostly cafes.
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The law is directly threatening some 100,000 employees in the sector, the association said.
.
Fines of up to 2,100 euros (2,800 dollars) for individuals and up to 21,000 euros for business owners are imposed on those violating the smoking ban.
.
Croatian officials have said the law was aimed at protecting non-smokers, who make up 68 percent of the country’s population of 4.4 million.
.
The health ministry estimated that tobacco kills some 10,000 people every year while an additional 3,000 die from passive smoking in Croatia.
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Health costs of treating the consequences of smoking are estimated at 422 million euros annually.
.
The Balkans are home to Europe’s most inveterate smokers, with 30 to 40 percent of all adults hooked on a habit considered a major cause of premature death by the World Health Organization. — AFP

Croatian bar and restaurant owners protested on Saturday a new tough law banning smoking in public places claiming it was ruining business and needs to be amended.
.
Since the anti-smoking law was adopted earlier this month, bars and restaurants, especially those without terraces, reported a “significant decrease in business,” an association of some 16,000 owners said in a statement, according to the state-run HINA news agency.
.
The law should be amended to “prevent the collapse of the sector,” they said.
.
The association is proposing that establishments smaller than 50 square metres (538 square feet) and serving only drinks should be allowed to decide whether they will be a smoking or non-smoking location.
.
The bigger establishments should be allowed to allocate 30 percent of their space for smokers where they would be allowed to serve food and drink.
.
Croatia, whose economy relies on tourism, has some 5,800 restaurants and almost 10,000 bars, mostly cafes.
.
The law is directly threatening some 100,000 employees in the sector, the association said.
.
Fines of up to 2,100 euros (2,800 dollars) for individuals and up to 21,000 euros for business owners are imposed on those violating the smoking ban.
.
Croatian officials have said the law was aimed at protecting non-smokers, who make up 68 percent of the country’s population of 4.4 million.
.
The health ministry estimated that tobacco kills some 10,000 people every year while an additional 3,000 die from passive smoking in Croatia.
.
Health costs of treating the consequences of smoking are estimated at 422 million euros annually.
.
The Balkans are home to Europe’s most inveterate smokers, with 30 to 40 percent of all adults hooked on a habit considered a major cause of premature death by the World Health Organization. — AFP
Croatian bar and restaurant owners protested on Saturday a new tough law banning smoking in public places claiming it was ruining business and needs to be amended.
.
Since the anti-smoking law was adopted earlier this month, bars and restaurants, especially those without terraces, reported a “significant decrease in business,” an association of some 16,000 owners said in a statement, according to the state-run HINA news agency.
.
The law should be amended to “prevent the collapse of the sector,” they said.
.
The association is proposing that establishments smaller than 50 square metres (538 square feet) and serving only drinks should be allowed to decide whether they will be a smoking or non-smoking location.
.
The bigger establishments should be allowed to allocate 30 percent of their space for smokers where they would be allowed to serve food and drink.
.
Croatia, whose economy relies on tourism, has some 5,800 restaurants and almost 10,000 bars, mostly cafes.
.
The law is directly threatening some 100,000 employees in the sector, the association said.
.
Fines of up to 2,100 euros (2,800 dollars) for individuals and up to 21,000 euros for business owners are imposed on those violating the smoking ban.
.
Croatian officials have said the law was aimed at protecting non-smokers, who make up 68 percent of the country’s population of 4.4 million.
.
The health ministry estimated that tobacco kills some 10,000 people every year while an additional 3,000 die from passive smoking in Croatia.

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