Health Minister Atanasova: I am definitely against lifting the smoking ban

“I will definitely not support the proposed amendments revoking the smoking ban,” Health Minister Desislava Atanasova said on Tuesday. “We made a European step and we should not step back,” she stated.
According to Atanasaova, fines amounting to BGN 19,700 were imposed for violating the ban on smoking in the period from June 1 to September 27, 2012.

Within this period, a total of 74,669 day-time and night-time inspections of 71,546 establishments were made both during the week and at the weekends. Some 1,470 recommendations were issued, as well as 123 warrants on natural and juristic persons, worth a total of BGN 19,700. Some 10,226 dining establishments, 5,024 kindergartens, 14,000 hospitals, and 1,292 open-air establishments which the smoking ban concerns were inspected.

Atanasova pointed out that the share of smokers among Bulgarian school students is alarmingly high. According to a European project surveying schools in 2011, some 64% of 16-year-old Bulgarian students have smoked at least one cigarette in their life and 38.9% have smoked at least one cigarette in the last 30 days. Girls smoke more than boys - 32.7% of the boys smoked in the last 30 days and 45% of the girls. Bulgarian students aged 15-16 who smoke rank 4th among 36 European countries and Bulgarian girls rank second among their peers in Europe.

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