Bulgarians Set to Protest against Full Smoking Ban

Smoking is banned in Bulgaria in all enclosed public spaces such as cafes and restaurants as of June 1. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

An initiative committee has been formed that is set to organize a protest against the country's freshly imposed full smoking ban in closed public spaces.

The protest has been scheduled for June 10 and is expected to take place in front of Sofia's National Palaca of Culture, the Blitz news agency reports.

The protest's organizers want to amend the ban so that it would only affect public places in which children are located, such as schools and kindergartens.

The organizers have pointed out that the business would suffer losses exceeding BGN 30 M (approximately EUR 15 M) and that businesses would go bankrupt.

They also believe that the ban violates civil rights.

The full smoking ban in Bulgaria became effective on Friday, June 1, at midnight.

The changes in the Law on Public Health mandate that smoking is fully banned in all work places, restaurants, bars, public transportation, cinemas, movie theaters, all hotels, near administrative buildings, in the yards or nearby daycare centers and schools, on playgrounds, at outdoors children events, open air performance venues, and sports facilities, while airports can be furnished with completely closed smoking chambers.

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