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44 deputies voted in favor of the reforms to the Code of Administrative Offenses, 7 against and 21 abstentions.
The amendments stipulate that owners of buildings or apartments will face fines of 30 to 60 euros for smoking on balconies. Repeated infractions will result in a double fine.
Some lawmakers have argued that a balcony smoking ban “allows people to stay healthy and live more peacefully in their own apartment,” while others have complained that the fines are inadequate.
Tomas Tomilinas, one of the authors of the initiative to ban smoking on balconies, said that without a fine, the smoking ban could not function normally.
However, the Social Democrat Julius Sabatauskas said the fines were too severe.
“There is no possibility of warning and the fines are quite high, equivalent to accelerating above 20 km per hour. And neighbors with complaints should meet and provide proof of
a smoking neighbor, that is, filming, photographing, which can very seriously turn into persecution. For example, what will happen if that person cannot smoke on the balcony and goes to the kitchen, turns on the hood and then all the smoke will spread throughout all the apartments, ”said J. Sabatauskas.
The liberal Eugenijus Gentvilas called the fines exaggerated: “Unfortunately, no other serious consequences will be achieved here, neither in public consciousness nor in health.”
He regretted, among other things. that the smoking ban does not apply to hotels, such as the Seimas Hotel, “although it is in fact a primary dormitory.”
Amendments to the Tobacco, Tobacco Products and Related Products Control Act have introduced a ban on smoking on apartment building balconies starting in 2021 if at least one resident of the house objects.
If the neighbors do not object, smokers should ensure that the smoke does not enter the premises of other residents of the house. In addition, smoking is prohibited during sports competitions or other outdoor events, covered public transport stops, playgrounds and outdoor catering.
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