Bulgarian Business Alarms of Bankruptcies over Smoking Ban

Bulgarians are some of the heaviest smokers in Europe, surpassed only by people in neighboring Greece. File photo

The turnover of Bulgarian food and drink establishments will go down by BGN 300 M after the full smoking ban becomes effective.

The statement was made by the Chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Hotel and Restaurant Owners, Blagoy Ragin, who took part in the Sunday protest rally against the ban.

As result of these losses, 20% of Bulgarian restaurants, casinos, and night clubs will be bankrupt by March 2013, Ragin insisted, stressing ironically that Kazakhstan currently has a program for small and medium business and the jobless Bulgarians could go there in hopes for a better future.

"We want to have this ban postponed by several years, until the economy recovers. I, myself, am no-smoker, and if it was to me I would also ban the manufacturing and the sale of cigarettes, but the economy cannot stop," said he.

About 200 people gathered Sunday in downtown Sofia to protest the full smoking ban, which should become effective on June 1, 2012.

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