Majority of Cyprus smoking fines in Limassol

Limassol continues to lead in the number of smoking ban violations and fines imposed by the police ever since the new law for public areas came into effect on January 1.
Some owners of coffee shops complained, but the vast majority of smokers and the general public seems to have accepted the new ban.
Although the police said it was lenient on the first day of the new law, it recorded 49 violations on Saturday and 34 on Sunday. It did not disclose the amounts of the extrajudicial fines imposed.
Of the 388 inspections on Saturday, the police recorded 49 violations, 47 of which were in Limassol and the other two in Larnaca. The fines were imposed on individuals who were adamant on smoking in public-service areas, as well as owners/operators of enterprises.
On Sunday, people seemed to have behaved better with 260 inspections in all towns. Of the 34 violations, 22 fines were imposed on smokers and 12 on enterprise owners/operators. Of the violations, 29 were in Limassol, three in Nicosia and one each in the Paphos and the Famagusta area.
Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said that a revision to the new bill is pending in the House, whereby the ban will also extend to hair salons.
New legislation, approved in July 2009 by the House of Reperesentatives, bans smoking in all closed public places. Smoking is allowed only outdoors and in open areas. The law provides for a fine for those who violate its provisions but no prison sentence.
In particular, the law provides for no more than 1000 euros as penalty for not posting a sign indicating that smoking is not allowed in a specific area, while whoever breaks the law as a smoker or owner of an establishment will pay a fine of no more than 2000 euros.
Health Minister Christos Patsalides described the complete ban of smoking in closed public spaces as “a gift for the citizens”.
Greens MP Yiorgos Perdikis was quick to praise the government efforts, but was critical of the hoteliers’ association Pasyxe, and the association of private enterprise owners who proceeded with more layoffs, saying these were due to loss of business because of the smoking ban.
Meanwhile, a similar ban was also introduced in the occupied north, with the Turkish Cypriot press saying that the new regulation would affect restaurant and café owners, as well as casino operators.