Bulgaria smoking ban

This item appears on page 69 of the August 2012 issue.

On June 1, Bulgaria expanded its ban on smoking in public to include school courtyards, playgrounds, cinemas, restaurants, bars and cafés. Since 2005, smoking had been banned in government buildings, schools and airports and on public transportation.

Fines for smokers breaking the law run BGN300-BGN500 ($192-$320), and business owners face fines of up to BGN5,000 for the first offense, increasing to BGN10,000 for further violations.