Parliament has approved amendments to the Law on Tobacco Control which prohibit smoking in apartment block balconies, terraces, galleries, by open windows, or outside closer than 5 metres to apartment blocks, as well as in children’s playgrounds if non-smokers are exposed to tobacco smoke, informs LETA.
The amendments proposed by Member of Parliament Antanas Matulas were voted for by 50 MPs while 18 abstained. The amendments will be further considered by parliamentary committees. The project should be returned for deliberations in autumn.
The law also stipulates that people younger than 18 are prohibited to smoke or be in possession of tobacco products.
Furthermore, another similar law regarding smoking was proposed and passed yesterday
MP Sergejus Jovaisa submitted amendments to the Law on Tobacco Control prohibiting smoking in transport vehicles in the presence of children.
The amendments were adopted for further consideration in committees by 59 MPs voting for, 1 against and 10 abstaining.
Jovaisa also proposed to increase fines for violating smoking ban in certain public areas from LTL 20-50 (EUR 6-15) to LTL 50-200 (EUR 15-58).
Based on the data available to MPs approximately 6 million people die from smoking related causes each year, 600 thousand of them because of passive smoking. 7,000 people die in Lithuania every year from diseases caused by smoking.
Source: The Baltic Course
http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/markets_and_companies/?doc=92839&ins_print
See also: http://www.latviannews.lv/news/5437/