Battle lines being drawn up over Bulgaria’s tobacco smoking ban

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Boiko Borissov, has hinted that he will not oppose a move under consideration by his ruling party MPs that would see the country’s enclosed-public-places tobacco smoking ban eased to allow people to light up in restaurants and bars after 22.00 hours, according to a Sofia News story.

But Health Minister, Desislava Atanasova, has pledged to stand firm against the proposed amendment toBulgaria’s anti-smoking law.

Bulgaria’s ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces came into effect at the beginning of June.

The ban replaced previous restrictions that allowed restaurants and bars to set aside smoking areas with separate ventilation systems.

The Sofia News said that with the advent of winter, campaigning in Bulgaria against the full ban had been stepped up, with restaurants, bars and nightclubs becoming increasingly strident in insisting that the current smoking ban is harming earnings and jobs.