The EU wants to restrict tobacco smoking. In the future, cigarette smoking will no longer be allowed in all outdoor areas. Bus and tram stops and amusement parks are affected.
The European Union (EU) has already made a recommendation to all Member States to introduce no-smoking zones in the open air. The model is the Brexit country Great Britain, which wants to ban smoking in front of bars. Such areas should include bus and tram stops, amusement parks, lawns, outdoor swimming pools and squares in front of public buildings.
Deaths due to passive smoking
But the British government goes much further. For example, disposable e-cigarettes should be banned and sweet flavors and bright packaging limited. It remains to be seen whether the EU will take similar steps. The smoking ban in certain places will only be voted on in parliament in the coming weeks.
The background to the project is the high number of tobacco deaths. Across the EU, around 700,000 people die every year as a result of tobacco use. Tens of thousands of these are due to passive smoking, said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides. The smoking ban in the open air should ensure that the consumption of “conventional tobacco products and new products” in public spaces is perceived as less normal.
Criticism came from, among others, the German CDU. “Even if we put up smoking ban signs everywhere, we cannot enforce this effectively, nor should we want to,” said Hesse’s European Minister, Manfred Petz. Introducing such bans is not the EU’s job. “We must work towards an EU that shows people opportunities and does not warn, educate and control them at every point.”
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
