There will be no mercy for cafes that do not respect the anti-smoking law. This is what the chief sanitary inspector in Kosovo, Ibrahim Tërshnjaku, says, as he points out that only during the month of January of this year, about 360 fines were imposed for non-compliance with the law.
And while it is warned that there will be fines for electronic cigarettes that have nicotine, representatives of the gastronomy appeal to preserve public and economic health. The latter complain that there is a mix of municipal and central powers.
Tërshnjaku told KosovaPress, while showing the number of businesses that have been checked and the fines imposed during the month of January, he says that the Government should think about increasing the price of tobacco, which will be an educational form to reduce smoking or to get another education in the economic and health sense.
According to him, they will have no mercy at all for coffee bars that are not following the law on tobacco. Also, Tërshnjaku indicated that electronic cigarettes containing nicotine will no longer be allowed in closed spaces and fines will be imposed for them.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Gastronomy Association of Kosovo, Arian Vranica, said that they are working on a solution to implement the change in the law on tobacco control, to create spaces for smoking that are based on European legislation, however, an additional fee is required for that consumption.
He emphasized that logos will be placed indicating that smoking is allowed, and then it will be the decision of the citizen whether he wants to enter the cafeteria or not.
The price of fines for breaking the law on the prohibition of smoking in closed spaces starts from 3000 euros, but also the bar can be closed. /A.Shala/