15 August 2019 - The goal of the Law on Restriction of Using Tobacco Products is not to punish the citizens and to collect revenues from fines, but to protect the citizens’ health, claims the Ministry of Health of Montenegro.
Prohibition of smoking in enclosed public places in Montenegro entered into force on Wednesday, August 14th, after the Law on Restriction of Tobacco Use was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro on August 7th.
The representative of the Ministry of Health of Montenegro, Slađana Pavlović said for Vijesti daily that the aim of this law, which was unanimously backed by the government and the parliament, is preserving and protecting the health of all the citizens, both those who do consume and those who do not consume tobacco products.
According to Pavlović, the main principle behind this law is the prohibition of consuming tobacco products in enclosed public spaces and in working spaces. She highlighted that smoking is strictly forbidden establishments where food and drinks are served, adding that the possibility exists to dedicate a separate part of the establishment for this purpose.
“The law clearly stipulates the conditions of insulation, surface, position and equipment of that part of the space: the room must be insulated in such a way that no tobacco smoke can flow into the rest of the space, and the surface must not be less than 10 square meters, must not occupy more than 20 per cent of the workspace or public space and should not be intended for passage to other spaces,” said Pavlović.
As TMN reported previously, the new law also prohibits the sale of tobacco products that are not labelled with printed warnings covering 65% of the front and rear end of a pack.
Violation of the Law on Restriction of the Use of Tobacco Products will lead to strict penalties going up to 20.000 EUR.
Still, Pavlović emphasized that the goal of the Ministry of Health, as the institution which will supervise the implementation of the law, is not punishing and collecting revenues from fines. She highlighted that tobacco, “a silent killer”, is a fundamental cause of death among the global, and thus also among the Montenegrin population.
