Costa
Rica's
Tough
Antismoking
Law
Could
Be
Reality
Today
This
afternoon
may
be
key
for
the
Ley
Antitabaco
(antismoking
law)
with
an
expected
second
and
final
vote
in
the
Legislative
Assembly.
The
vote,
which
was
delayed
from
last
Thursday,
is
expected
to
take
place
at
3pm
today,
Monday.
The
new
law,
which
may
be
again
delayed
as a
group
of
legislators
are
pushing
for
a
Constitutional
Court
analysis
- in
part
to
pave
the
way
for
possible
challenges
in
the
future
and
part
as a
stall
tactic
-
will
prohibit
smoking
in
all
public
places,
including
bus
stops
and
taxi
stands,
affect
smoking
in
the
work
place,
advertising
and
distribution
and
places
a
˘20
colones
tax
on
each
and
every
tobacco
cigarette.
Last
Monday,
legislators
approved
the
bill
in
first
vote.
On
Thursday,
the
first
date
for
the
second
vote
the
lack
of a
legislative
quorum
-
four
short
-
pushed
the
voting
to
today.
