PRAGUE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Czech Senate approved on Thursday the anti-smoking bill unchanged after a nearly-five-hour debate.
It means that smoking will be absolutely banned inside restaurants, theaters and cinemas as of May 31 2017, a day that is marked as World No Tobacco Day.
The bill also bans smoking at transport stations, the use of electronic cigarettes in hospitals, schools and shopping centres.
Moreover, it also prohibits the sales of cigarettes in vending machines where their use by underage persons cannot be ruled out.
It counts with sanctions in the form of up to two-year disqualification on activity for violating the ban on the sale of cigarettes outside selected places or to a person under 18 years, or in case of the sale of alcohol to a drunk person.
Czech Health Minister Miloslav described the bill as the "maximum possible compromise" that could be reached.
He said the proposed sanctions should mainly have a preventive effect against violations of obligations, and their goal is not to punish people.
The bill was approved by Czech Chamber of Deputies on Dec. 9, 2016, with 45 in favor of a total of 68 senators present on Thursday. The bill will now be submitted to Czech President Milos Zeman to sign into law.
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