Public smoking laws kick in

THE POLICE have booked 120 establishments for violations of public smoking laws in the past month alone, the Justice Minister said yesterday.
Minister Sophoclis Sophocleous was speaking during a meeting with the Cyprus National Anti-smoking Association, who say 23 per cent of Cypriots smoke.
Sophocleous said police were making a huge effort to implement the recently imposed law, which, among other requirements, provides that establishments create a specially ventilated area for smokers.

“We are on a good road but more needs to be done,” said the Minister.
Asked what the penalties were for those violating the law, Sophocleous said they were imposed “as is provided by the law; nothing more and nothing less”.
The minister said the police force is one of eight bodies responsible for the implementation of the law and for this reason it needs cooperation and common efforts among all parties to have the best results.

Sophocleous said police were making good pprogress in imposing smoking laws. He added, however, that “the problem cannot be resolved just with policing measures”.
The Justice Minister believes the smoking issue will only be resolved if there is a change of culture in Cyprus.

“Finally, we must understand that above all we must respect the sacred right of those, namely non-smokers, who for wish smoking laws to be imposed and who have the right to seek a clean environment,” said Sophocleous.

Speaking on behalf of the Association, Stelios Sykallides said efforts were being made to ban smoking in significant areas, “such as all public areas, work forces and restaurants”.
He added, “We cannot change attitudes by imposing fines. The public should become aware of its rights and seek them: especially seeing that non-smokers in Cyprus are the vast majority and only 23 per cent of the population smokes.”

Sykallides thanked the Justice Minister for his initiative to implement a law that has existed since 2002 and that “nobody has taken into consideration”.

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