Finland Mulls Tougher Restrictions on Smokers

The social affairs ministry on Monday proposed to revise the country’s Tobacco Act, focusing in particular on branding and imposing limits on outdoor smoking.

If approved, the new measures would strip logos and brand names from product packaging so that all brands would have identical labelling. The flavouring of all tobacco products, including cigarettes and rolling tobacco, is also something the proposal is seeking to ban. 

With the new amendments, smoking would also be banned in certain public areas such as bus stops, public beaches and playgrounds. However, smokers could still have a smoke at the open terraces of bars and restaurants. Smoking would also be allowed at terraces with two walls and no roof or with a roof and single wall.

Apart from improving public health, the new Tobacco Act also aims at reducing littering. The proposed changes would come into effect gradually between 2022 and 2024.

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