The Ministry of Healthcare published a proposal for expanded prohibition on smoking on 8 August 2018. As part of the proposed amendments, Managing Directors and Sole Traders shall be liable for smoking within their establishments on the basis of not creating the necessary conditions and organization in order to not allow smoking. Furthermore, articles for water-based pipes which do not contain tobacco shall fall within the prohibition on smoking.

Explicit legal definitions “closed public quarters”, “tobacco articles”, “articles related to tobacco articles” and “articles for water-based pipe which do not contain tobacco”.

The operations of establishments, which are already sanctioned once for infringing the prohibition on smoking, shall be suspended in case of a second infringement.

The expected results of the proposed amendments are related to enhancing the health culture and modifying the public attitude, smoking hookahs, and reducing the health risk of hookah smoking. The aim of the draft law is to achieve more effective control over the introduced restrictions and prohibitions.

The proposal of the Ministry of Healthcare also contains amendments for increasing the effectiveness of the State control, non conventional measures for positive influence on the human’s health, whereas full details regarding the proposed amendments may be reviewed on the web page of the Ministry.

Feel free to contact your attorney from Stoychev & Stoycheva Law Firm for further information.