People who violate the bans will risk being sanctioned by the authorities. The list of those who have the competence to ascertain the contraventions and to apply the fines provided by the law that will enter into force on Thursday was published, on Friday, in the Official Gazette.
All specifications are included in the Order of the Minister of Internal Affairs no. 47/2016 regarding the designation of the competent personnel to ascertain the contraventions and to apply contravention sanctions provided by Law no. 349/2002 for preventing and combating the effects of tobacco product consumption.
Thus, the persons empowered to ascertain the contraventions and to apply the fines provided by law are:
– officers and police agents within the Romanian Police;
– officers and police agents from the Romanian Border Police;
– the staff from the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations and the inspectorates for county emergency situations / Bucharest-Ilfov;
– officers and non-commissioned officers from the Romanian Gendarmerie.
The complete ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces is provided by Law no. 15/2016 regarding the amendment and completion of Law no. 349/2002 for preventing and combating the effects of tobacco product consumption, which was published in early February in the Official Gazette and will enter into force on March 17.
According to the cited normative act, smoking will be completely forbidden in all enclosed public spaces (including bars, discos and restaurants), as well as in enclosed spaces at work and in children’s playgrounds (even outdoors).
In addition, from Thursday, smoking will be completely banned in schools and in those intended for the protection and assistance of children, not only in health facilities and public transport, as still provided by current law.
The law published on February 1 in the Monitor also establishes the sanctions that will be received by those who will not comply with the proposed bans on smoking.
Thus, in the case of individuals, they will risk fines of between 100 and 500 lei if they smoke in enclosed public spaces, in enclosed spaces at work, in public transport or in children’s playgrounds. Also, the sanction will be valid for tobacco consumption in health facilities, educational institutions and those intended for the protection and assistance of the child.
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