Czech Republic enforces smoking ban after years of debate

A smoking ban in public places like cinemas, theaters, sports venues, bar, restaurants and cafes was put in place today by the Czech Republic.This was because the country has been known for tobacco smokers in Europe. The ban was approved by the parliament after a long debate; it was signed into law by President Milos Zeman.According to data from the European Union, 17 member states have comprehensive smoke-free laws in place. But some, including Austria, Portugal, Romania and Serbia, only have partial bans on indoor smoking in restaurants and bars.Czechs has tolerated smoking up till now, as it was left to the discretion of the restaurant owners if smoking will be allowed in their restaurants or not, unlike most Europe. As the time of Czechs ban, Slovakia appeared to be the only EU country left with no official ban in place inside bars. The Czech Health Ministry said it estimated 18,000 Czechs die of smoking every year and another two thousand non-smokers die due to exposure to second-hand smoke.Today being the World No Tobacco Day, anyone found violating the law will be fined the sum of 5,000 koruna ($190).