Smoking

Brussels Increases the Fine for Throwing a Cigarette Butt from 50 to 200 Euros

Starting next year the fine for throwing a cigarette butt in Brussels will be increased from 50 to 200 euros, according to the mayoralty of the Belgian capital.

The city's cleanliness office is launching a plan to raise awareness among smokers, install urban ashtrays, as well as to launch a project for the utilisation of  cigarette butts via pocket ashtrays, the service said.

Fines for smoking violations to be increased this month

The government is currently drafting a joint ministerial decision ensuring stricter fines for violations of the anti-smoking law which will officially go into effect on November 19.
The fines currently in place were introduced a decade ago when the first anti-smoking legislation was passed into law and are not considered tough enough by authorities.

Cigarette black market in Romania falls below 11pct in September

The cigarette black market in Romania fell in September below 11pct of the total consumption, for the first time in the last ten years, due to the sharp reduction in "no-name" products, show the findings of the Novel research, made public on Thursday. At the national level, the illegal trade in cigarettes thus reached 10.5pct, down 3.2 percentage points compared to July this year.

BFSA Withdraws Dangerous Romanian Mackerel from the Market

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) withdrew 251 kg and 613 g of smoked fish from the market, which contained Listeria monocytogenes.

The fish is smoked mackerel in a vacuum package manufactured by Ocean Fish - Romania, batch No L 12.11.2019, the Agency said.

The product has been distributed commercially throughout the country.

MPs to vote on new law clamping down on smoking in public areas

Lawmakers on Tuesday will be voting on the government's new law for clamping down on smoking in public, which also introduces stricter bans and stiffer fines than the previous, much-flouted legislation.

If the Health Ministry draft bill is ratified, as expected, the new law will go into effect the following day.

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