Prague, Jan 19 (CTK) – The Czech Senate passed on Thursday the anti-smoking bill without any changes, which means that smoking will be absolutely banned inside restaurants, theatres and cinemas as of the end of May.
The upper house of parliament passed the bill after a five-hour feverish debate.
The Chamber of Deputies passed the bill on December 9. It will now be submitted to President Milos Zeman for signing.
The bill was supported by 45 out of 68 senators present. Only all ANO senators and members of the Club of Independent Senators voted for the bill. Other groups were not united.
The bill also bans smoking at transport stations, the use of electronic cigarettes in hospitals, schools and shopping centres, and the sales of cigarettes in vending machines where their use by underage persons cannot be ruled out.
It counts with sanctions in the form of a two-year ban on activity in case of breach of the ban on the sale of cigarettes outside selected places or to a person under 18 years, or in case of the sale of alcohol to a drunk person.
Health Minister Miloslav Ludvik (Social Democrats, CSSD) said the bill is the maximum possible compromise that could be reached.
The sanctions for sale of tobacco products to children may reach up to two million crowns, Ludvik said.
“The proposed sanctions should mainly have a preventive effect, their goal is not to punish people,” Ludvik said.
Zeman repeated later on Thursday that he will sign the anti-smoking bill into law.
