Pridnestrovie may ban smoking at bus stops

The Government proposes to expand the list of places where tobacco smoking is prohibited (except for specially designated places). Amendments and additions to the Law of the PMR "On protecting the health of citizens from the effects of second hand tobacco smoke, the consequences of the consumption of tobacco and other nicotine-containing mixtures without tobacco content" were discussed by deputies of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Policy and Healthcare.

Tobacco smoking is prohibited under current law:

- in premises intended for the provision of educational services, services provided by cultural organizations and organizations of bodies for youth affairs, services provided in the field of physical culture and sports;

- in premises intended for the provision of medical, rehabilitation and sanatorium services;

- in the premises of social services;

- on playgrounds and within the boundaries of territories occupied by beaches;

- in elevators and common areas of apartment buildings;

- at gas stations, as well as in the premises and on the territories of objects of trade, production, processing and storage of flammable liquids, flammable liquids and flammable gases, production of all types of explosives, in explosive and fire hazardous areas;

- in the provision of passenger transportation services;

- all types of public transport (public transport) of urban and suburban communications.

The expanded list of public places where smoking will be prohibited is proposed to include city and suburban public transport stops, squares and parks.

The law-in-draft proposes to clarify that the category of public transport includes river transport vessels that carry out passenger transportation.

The law-in-draft will be considered in the first reading at one of the next plenary sessions. Amendments will be developed for the second reading if the law-in-draft is adopted in the first reading. They will clarify how the ban on tobacco smoking will work in territories whose boundaries cannot be clearly defined, for example, on playgrounds or beaches.