Although banned in 2019, many people still smoke indoors. Last year, the Tourist Inspectorate issued more than 300 euros in fines for violating the Law on Restricting the Use of Tobacco Products, mostly in Podgorica and Nikšić.
"In 2024, the Tourism Inspectorate carried out 7938 inspections, of which 2061 inspections related to the control of the implementation of the law on the restriction of the use of tobacco products. On this occasion, 1035 misdemeanor orders were issued in the amount of over 308.000 euros and 98 misdemeanor proceedings were initiated," says Maja Pešić from the Ministry of Tourism.
"So larger municipalities, of course, we have recently noted that the northern part, smaller municipalities, have also violated this law to an increased extent in the winter period, so as far as municipalities are concerned, it is certainly Podgorica, then we have Nikšić...", he adds.
Podgorica's caterers say that the existing law has not yielded the expected results, and they see the responsibility in unscrupulous guests.
"People who have bars inside feel it a lot. Literally, the biggest problem is the guests who don't want to respect these laws. So, we try our best to respect them, but the guests, the guests, uh, don't respect them," says restaurateur Bojan Živanović.
On the other hand, inspectors are also calling caterers to account, and announcing stricter penalties.
"The new law on the restriction of the use of tobacco products should contain higher penalties, provisions that would, so to speak, prompt our subjects of supervision to respect this law as much as possible and to implement its application in everyday life, whether during the day or at night, in hospitality facilities," explains Pešić.
The Ministry of Health says they are actively preparing a new law, but they believe it is still too early to talk about concrete solutions.
"Data on the use of tobacco products in Montenegro warn and alarm all sectors that the time has finally come to implement enhanced measures to limit the availability and use of tobacco products. It should be especially emphasized that children and young people are particularly exposed to the negative effects of tobacco products, and this is supported by the fact of an evident increase in the number of users of tobacco products among this particularly sensitive population group. When the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Restricting the Use of Tobacco Products is completed, the Ministry of Health will organize a public hearing, about which the public will be informed in a timely manner," says Pešić.
Do they expect there will be fewer guests smoking e-cigarettes in the indoor area of your establishment?
"Yes, for sure, there will be, because a lot of people have switched to these electronic cigarettes precisely because smoking is banned. There will probably be less, less work," she answers.
The adoption of the new Law on Restricting the Use of Tobacco Products is expected by the end of this year.
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