Anti-Smoking
Law
Approved
In
First
Debate
Law
bans
smoking
in
public
places
and
eliminates
mass
media
advertising
Costa
Rica
is
one
step
closer
to
massive
anti-smoking
reforms
with
the
passage
of
the
Ley
in
first
debate,
in a
vote
of
46
in
favour
and
4
against
by
the
country's
legislators.
The
bill,
if
it
passes
the
second
round
of
voting
on
Thursday,
would
ban
smoking
in
bars,
restaurants,
public
buildings
and
including
bus
stops,
taxi
stands
and
the
workplace.
In
addition,
each
individual
cigarette
would
be
taxed
and
extra
˘20
colones
each,
for
a
total
of
˘400
colones
for
a 20
pack.
The
individual
unit
tax
is
based
on
the
fact
that
in
Costa
Rica
some
retailers
sell
only
one
cigarette.
The
new
law
will
also
require
manufacturers
to
cover
at
least
50%
of
the
package
with
messages
on
the
dangers
of
smoking
and
bans
mass
media
advertising.
The
current
law
bans
smoking
in
public
buildings,
but
is
vague
in
that
it
allows
bars
and
restaurants,
for
example
to
permit
smoking.
In
the
debate,
some
legislators
like
advocated
that
the
new
tax
should
be
˘5
colones
per
cigarette,
increasing
to
˘20
in
four
years.
That
proposal
was
rejected
by a
majority
who
opted
for
the
immediate
application
of
the
higher
tax.
Although
second
debate
voting
is
to
occur
on
Thursday,
it
will
be
more
likely
that
the
approval
of
the
bill
will
be
delayed
up
to a
month
as
legislators
of
the
PASE
and
Frente
Amplio
are
collecting
signatures
to
send
the
bill
to
the
Constitutional
Court
for
consultation.
The
legislators
argue
that
to
the
contrary
the
law
would
be
struck
down
in
an
action
of
unconstitutionality.
For
his
part,
Juan
Carlos
Mendoza,
President
of
Legislative
Assembly,
said
he
doesn't
want
to
see
any
delays,
but
rather
wants
to
clear
the
legislative
agenda
to
make
room
for
discussions
on
the
Plan
Fiscal
and
Ley
de
Tránsito,
two
important
pieces
of
legislation
for
the
current
administration.
If
and
when
approved,
the
new
anti-smoking
law
would
set
a
fine
of
between
one
and
two
"salarios
minimos"
(minimum
salaries)
and
would
increase
for
repeat
offenders.
Advertising
The
anti-smoking
ban
will
mean
smokers
will
be
looking
for
solutions
like
the
use
of
electronic
cigarettes
that
provide
the
same
nicotine
content
as a
regular
cigarette
but
emit
an
inoffensive
vapour
instead
of
smoke.
One
such
product
can
be
found
at
www.ecigscr.com
