According to the new rules, smoking in bars will only be allowed on open balconies. Restaurant owners are permitted to set up separate smoking rooms using mobile partitions or permanent walls. However, food and drinks will not be served in these rooms.
The law provides for fines for violators. Individuals smoking in catering establishments will pay up to €2.100, and entrepreneurs up to €21.000.
As the Croatian Ministry of Health states, the tightening of anti-smoking measures is aimed at protecting the country's non-smoking citizens, who make up 68% of Croatia's total population of 4.4 million people. According to the ministry, 10,000 people die annually from active smoking in the country, and another 3,000 people become victims of passive smoking.
Earlier, Croatia had introduced a ban on smoking in healthcare and education institutions. Special rooms have been designated for smoking in other public places. However, as Lenta.ru notes, these rules are often violated—primarily by owners of bars, restaurants, and offices.
_