Health law

Seven citizens' groups have sent a letter to the Labor Inspection Corps demanding to know whether the agency is carrying out regular checks on businesses and offices in order to impose a much-flouted smoking ban that was introduced in 2010.

The health ministry is starting to listen about proposals from the non-government sector to impose more drastic sanctions for breaching the ban on smoking in indoor public places. In the event of a systematic breach of the smoking ban, the facility will be shut down for a specified period of time. This includes amendments to the Health Act, prepared by the Ministry of Health.

Macedonian MPs are proposing amendments to the current strict anti-smoking law to allow smoking inside cafés and restaurants if they meet certain conditions and have enough space for a special smoking section, no larger than 30 per cent of the entire establishment.

Turkey will introduce a new smoking ban that will extend the smoke-free zones of restaurants to semi-closed parts of restaurants and cafes. 

Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdağ announced that they would introduce new regulations in 2017 to promote healthy life that will include steps against tobacco and tobacco products. 

Shortly after the midnight on Wednesday, Alina Tronaru regretfully stubbed out her last cigarette in a restaurant.

Together with some other friends, the 32-year-old joined a "farewell" party for smokers in a fancy restaurant in downtown Bucharest.

She is not giving up smoking, however, just giving up smoking in public places.

One of the significant changes in Turkish social life under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is the smoking ban in public spaces. The first step of this ban came out in 2009, forcing all restaurants and hotels to ban smoking in all closed spaces. Many people at the time believed the ban would never work as Turkey is a heavily smoking nation. But on the whole it did.

Turkey will extend a smoking ban previously issued for indoor areas to outdoors, the Turkish health minister has announced, as President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an wages a large-scale war against the habit.

"Parks are among the few smoke-free places here," says Larisa Marinescu, 32, pushing a stroller with her eight-month-old girl round a park in Bucharest.

"It is very difficult to find a non-smoking place to eat with a child. This is not normal," she adds.

Marinescu is one of many Romanians who are strongly opposed to smoking.

Health personnel went on strike on March 13 in various cities across Turkey a day before national Doctor's Day, demanding better working conditions, better wages, policies to improve the quality of medical education, and equal and free medical services to all citizens.

Turkey is preparing to sign two ILO conventions on safety and health in mining and construction