On 1 of May this year, Croatia adopted a smoking ban for all public location, from a strategic point of you this was of course excellent timing, as most people spend time outside during the summer month, but nevertheless, there has been bar and restaurant owner complaining about loss of revenue.

As we are now heading towards the winter season, where people sit inside bars and restaurants, the complaints about the smoking ban, not only from the owners, but also from the more then 1 million smokers, has been a increasing.

As the financial crises have already lead to lots of jobs being lost, the government have reconsidered the smoking bank, and will apparently now adopt a new legislation, which would allow cafes smaller than 50m2 to decide whether they will be smoking or non-smoking locations.

Larger cafe and night clubs will be allowed to make smoking zones provided they do not cover more then 20% of locations total surface. As a new requirement the smoking bars will have to implement a fresh air ventilation system.

Smoking in Restaurants will still be banned.

The amendment to the law, will most properly be implement from first of October. The fines for smoking, up to 1000 kuna for the smoker and up to 15.000 for the bar / restaurant owner remains the same.

My personal observation this summer has been that the majority of the bars and restaurant has been sticking to the law, only in a few occasions, I have seen people smoking inside a bar. A positive effect from the smoking ban, has been hearing more and more smokers saying that they would quit smoking, as it is too complicated and to expensive to be a smoker!

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