Smoking in closed public places completely banned as of 1 June

With the votes of MPs from all parliamentary groups, the National Assembly adopted today amendments to the Health Act at first reading, imposing a total ban on smoking in closed public places as of q June. The ban was approved by 99 MPs, 10 voted against and 4 abstained. According to the restrictions, smoking will not be allowed in any closed public places, including cafes and restaurants, and will be prohibited outdoor as well, on kids and sports grounds.

Emil Karanikolov, MP from GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria), said in the parliamentary hall that the ban will not liquidate the businesses of restaurant holders and owners of small cafes. He cited data that in similar circumstance, the decline in turnover had lasted only a few weeks and the situation had normalised afterwards.

Business representatives, however, complain that they have not been able to recover the investments they made after the previous amendments to the law, requiring separate rooms for smokers and non-smokers and ventilation. According to the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association, more than BGN 50 mln were spent on installing ventilation systems and glass screens in restaurants and cafes. For this reason, they repeatedly appealed for the total ban on indoor smoking to be postponed in time, but PM Boyko Borissov was uncompromising.

For the time being, the restrictions do not concern working places. According to the Health Minister Desislava Atanasova, however, such amendments will be introduced between the first and second reading.

Atanasova also commented on the problem of non-payment of health insurance contributions. “Driving licenses or ID cards will not be taken away from people without healthcare insurance,” she said, accusing the media of distorting her words.

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