The law of Ukraine has long prohibited smoking in public places. But it previously did not affect electronic heating devices (IQOS, Glo, etc.), making them permissible for public places like restaurants. The Law “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on Public Health Protection from the harmful effects of tobacco” enters into force today, which banned smoking and such devices.

Oleg Dunin, chief specialist of the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health, explained more precisely that “smoking rooms” and separate smoking rooms in food establishments are currently prohibited everywhere. Airport premises are an exception. A more precise list of places where such a ban is in effect looks like this:

in the premises and on the territory of health care institutions;
in the premises and on the territory of educational institutions;
in the premises and on the territory of sports and physical culture and health facilities and institutions of physical culture and sports;
in restaurants, cafes and bars;
theaters, museums, galleries, concert halls;
in the premises of state authorities, other state institutions, local self-government bodies;
in the premises of enterprises, institutions and organizations of all forms of ownership;
in hotels and hostels;
in dormitories:
on playgrounds;
in common areas of residential buildings;
in elevators and payphones;
in underground passages;
in public transport and taxis;
at train stations and bus stations;
at public transport stops.

In case of violation of the law, both the citizen who violated the rules and the institution can receive a fine. For the first time, the violator will have to pay from 51 to 170 hryvnias, and repeated negligence during the year will cost from 170 to 340 hryvnias. For business entities, these are larger numbers: 1,000 hryvnias for the first violation, and up to 10,000 for a second violation. This fine is significantly higher for restaurants: 3,000 and 15,000, respectively.

As Oleg Dunin adds, more than 8 million people around the world die annually from diseases caused by tobacco, and 85,000 in Ukraine. Therefore, such a law is more useful than ever:

During the war, we observed a significant increase in the smoking rate. Just colossal. Women smoking increased from 10 to 15%. Because of this, morbidity will also increase.