THE House Health Committee finally agreed yesterday on the long-awaited final draft of the bill for a comprehensive public smoking ban, which looks set to be voted into law by parliament on Thursday.
The final decision on the draft was made following weeks of speculation that proponents of the ban would be forced by parliamentarians wishing to stall the process to postpone the vote until after the summer recess. However, following the deadline given to parliamentary parties in June to clarify their positions while bearing in mind a full smoking ban was non-negotiable, the final meeting yesterday afternoon ended in consensus.
Presiding over the Health Committee meeting DISY MP Stella Kyriakides oversaw the final recommendations for amendments to the law, which looks set to be implemented on January 1 2010.
Of the additions made to the bill during the final meeting was a change to the penalties scheme, which Green Party MP George Perdikis highlighted as “confusing”. It had been previously decided that there should be a €2000 fine for both business owners and customers who failed to adhere to the new law. Perdikis, however, underlined another instance of violation when an owner has failed to put up a sign indicating that smoking is prohibited. It was therefore decided that in such an instance, the owner will face an additional fine of €1000 for failing to adhere to their responsibilities. Previous suggestions of a possible prison sentence had been altogether removed from the bill.
Care homes and private pharmacies were also added to the long list of buildings and institutions in which smoking will be outlawed. In addition to the obvious medical and public buildings, the ban will also include all covered stadia, cultural centres, factories, food-packing warehouses, elevators, ports, restaurants, betting shops, bars, kiosks, nightclubs, cabarets and other recreational centres.
So, where will people be allowed to smoke under the new legislation? Kyriakides explained clearly that the ban excludes “all external areas, including areas that are covered by a canopy, and open internal areas such as courtyards”. However, during the meeting, she also expressed her belief that she thought it would “be positive to have a designated smoking area for teachers so that they do not leave school grounds (which will be totally covered by the ban) and set a bad example”. However, this recommendation was dismissed for fear of setting a precedent for other professions.
During statements given to the press following the meeting, Kyriakides announced the final consensus that the bill would be put before the plenum on Thursday, and that “all parties are consistent and unified in their voice in support [of the bill].” She also expressed her belief that the decision had been reached considering “the philosophy of the legislation that can be implemented”.
The proposed mid-winter ban date was debated in the meeting, with one EDEK MP arguing that people would be more receptive to the idea had it been implemented in the summer, as had been the case in the UK. When questioned during the press conference over whether the agreed January 1 date set for implementation would mean that New Year’s revellers would be forced to stub out their cigarettes directly after the countdown, she replied: “we know that there is a problem [with attitudes to smoking] that won’t change overnight, and there will be a window of time for people to get used to the idea.”
Perdikis, who has been at the forefront of the campaign to introduce a full smoking ban, gave the final comments on the decision saying: “This Christmas, Santa Claus has a nice present for passive smokers, pregnant women and children… This decision is the culmination of a marathon effort to protect the health of the public.”
He also added that it was “not time to look for loopholes in trying to avoid this necessity” and that “both smokers and non-smokers should work together in implementing the law”.
The decision is indeed the culmination of a long and arduous campaign initiated over a year ago by the submission of a letter by three Supreme Court judges, who argued that the existing 2002 legislation in Cyprus regarding smoking was totally ineffective.
Initial reactions to the announcement were as mixed as can be expected, with health officials and anti-smoking groups praising the decision, while club and restaurant owners expressed outrage and disbelief. Speaking to CYBC Radio Trito, Head of the Bar and Nightclub Owners’ Association Phanos Levendis described the decision as “catastrophic and disappointing… It is a damaging decision not only to the economy of the entertainment industry, but also to the country in an irreversible way.”
