Romania's health minister opposes changes to smoking ban

The amendments proposed by the Senate’s Health Committee on the smoking ban in Romania represent an attack on the citizen’s health, health minister Vlad Voiculescu said on Thursday. Moreover, he urged the MPs to reject these changes. The minister pointed out that 42,000 Romanians die annually due to smoking, which is the equivalent of 200 plane crashes. “The Senate’s Health Committee has proposed amendments that in reality allow smoking in any enclosed space. The only condition is that the space should be labeled, not dedicated. This is an attack on the safety of all citizens, no matter if they are employees or employers, customers or service personnel, children or adults. I, therefore, have confidence that the Chamber of Deputies will correct this mistake,” Voiculescu said. Easing this law can’t produce positive effects in terms of public health, the minister also said. “The experience of the European countries where this measure has been introduced shows that the economic effects are not insurmountable, and the effects on public health are incomparably greater,” he added. Moreover, according to the minister, it is not true that Romania has the toughest anti-smoking legislation. The health minister spoke in the opening of a conference about Romania's quest to reduce the smoking incidence among teenagers. He started with a personal confession, saying that both his parents smoked since the age of 20 and his father, a former professional athlete, recently had a double bypass. Voiculescu pointed out that preventing early smoking is extremely important, given that in Romania 5% of the 11-year old children have smoked at least once and the smoking incidence reaches 37% for 15-year old children. The smoking ban in all enclosed public spaces entered into force in mid-March. Under the current law, smoking is forbidden in all public spaces that have a roof and minimum two walls. Find a short guide here. However, the Senate decided in early-June that smoking would be allowed in special rooms, completely isolated and accurately labeled, as well as on outdoor patios set up for smoking. These amendments to the smoking ban also have to be voted by the Chamber of Deputies. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com