Costa
Rica
Lawmakers
Recognize
Impossibility
of
Collecting
On
Antismoking
Ban
Fines
Some
legislators
recognize
that
it
will
be
impossible
to
collect
fines
from
the
smoking
ban
once
the
law
goes
into
effect,
banning
smoking
tobacco
cigarettes
in
all
public
places
and
a
˘36.000
fine
for
those
who
don't
butt
out.
On
Tuesday
the
Constitutional
Court
gave
the
green
light
to
the
Ley
Antitabaco
(antimosking
law)
that
will
also
see
a
˘20
colones
tax
on
each
cigarette.
For
the
moment
there
are
no
inspectors,
nor
any
guidelines
regulating
the
ban.
The
law
was
approved
in
second
and
final
debate
at
the
end
of
last
month,
when
the
Court
accepted
a
filing
for
a
constitutional
consult
and
ordered
the
presidenta
not
to
sign
the
bill
into
law.
Everything
went
on a
holding
pattern.
Now
that
the
Court
has
given
the
approval
and
presidenta
Laura
Chinchilla
signed the
law,
it
will
go
into
effect
90
days
after
publication
in
La
Gaceta,
allowing
time
to
prepare
the
regulations.
Some
questions
on
fining
smokers
violating
the
ban
include
when
and
how
is
the
smoker
fined?
and
how
is
he
or
she
notified?
Some
argue
that
the
antismoking
law
may
be
just
like
the
problem
of
the
2004
law
that
calls
for
a
fine
of
˘100.000
colones
and
up
to
30
days
jail
for
throwing
trash
on a
public
road.
Or
the
2008
law
that
calls
for
a
sanction
of
up
to
20%
of a
base
salary
for
pedestrians
walking
off
a
sidewalk,
crossing
the
street
mid
block
(and
not
at
the
corner)
and/or
ignoring
a
nearby
crosswalk.
With
respect
to
the
Ley
Antitabaco,
the
Ministerio
de
Salud
(Ministry
of
Health)
will
be
responsible
for
the
enforcement.
However,
Health
officials
acknowledge
that
they
do
not
yet
have
any
regulations
ready
for
the
fines
and
collecting
same
and
only
has
125
inspectors
nationwide,
inspectors
who
are
busy
enforcing
the
Health
laws.
One
group
that
may
be
easier
to
fine
and
collect
from,
however,
are
bars,
restaurants,
clubs,
etc,
that
is
to
say
businesses
with
a
fixed
location,
where
Health
officials
can
now
issue
them
fines
which
will
affect
license
renewals,
both
municipal
and
sanitary
permits,
where
they
must
obtain
a
Health
certificate.
