Macedonia Eases Smoking Ban

According to the measure, smoking will now be allowed on the terraces of hospitality establishments.

However, representatives of Macedonia’s hospitality industry are not satisfied with the amendments and have asked for more changes to the law that they say has driven their customers away.

The Association of Tourism and Catering Industries announced it will take the amendments to the Constitutional Court as they promoted discrimination, arguing that not every establishment has an open terrace.

Representatives of the hospitality industry also pointed out that smoking will now be allowed only on terraces that do not have sun umbrellas, which they say is mainly useless to them.

The opposition was also dissatisfied with the amendments, arguing that they were not sufficient. The Social Democrats demanded smoking be allowed inside cafés and restaurants that satisfy certain conditions and have enough space to include a smoking section.

The amendments come after the Macedonian Tourism Chamber revealed a survey showing an astonishing 90 per cent drop in profits among café and restaurant owners since the new law entered into force.

The hospitality industry has been asking for changes to the harsh law, arguing that it deters smokers from visiting their establishments in a country where some half of the adult population puffs regularly.