Smoke dissipating

This item appears on page 75 of the March 2011 issue.

POLAND banned smoking in public spaces, such as mass-transit vehicles and stations, parks, hospitals, theaters, schools and playgrounds, as of Nov. 15, 2010. In restaurants, bars and workplaces, smoking is allowed in separate ventilated rooms.

In SPAIN, as of Jan. 2, 2011, smoking is not allowed in enclosed public spaces, including restaurants and bars, not to mention the grounds of schools and hospitals. Hotels may set aside 30% of rooms for smoking. Smoking in restaurants’ outdoor patios and at sidewalk tables is still allowed.

In Goa, INDIA, as part of an anti-drug campaign, police have been more vigorously enforcing an existing ban on smoking in public spaces. Scores of people were booked and fined up to INR100 ($2) each recently for smoking tobacco and/or marijuana in areas where the ban applies. Smoking is allowed in designated separate areas of restaurants and bars. Owners of restaurants and beach shacks in violation of the law have been fined and hookahs seized; they also must remove ashtrays and post ‘No smoking’ signs.

Wikipedia outlines the smoking ban in every country with the policy.