The lower house of the Czech Parliament (Chamber of Deputies) passed a
law that bans smoking in some public places. If approved by the upper
house (Senate) and signed by the president, smoking will be banned in
public administration buildings, schools, cinemas, sports halls, and
tram and bus stops. However, Christian Democrat deputy Josef Janecek
says the law is "a victory for the tobacco lobby" as it fails to
introduce a total ban on smoking in theatres, restaurants and bars, and
workplaces. These places have the option of installing non-smoking
areas if they want to avoid a complete ban. The law also restricts
cigarette sales from January 1 next year. Cigarette sales from vending
machines are banned and the shops allowed to sell cigarettes will be
restricted to mainly tobacco shops and supermarkets.