Serbia - smoking ban begins Thursday, November 11, 2010..

Coat-of-Arms..
November 9, 2010 - In two days smokers shall have to change their smoking habits. When the Law on protection of population against cigarette smoke comes in force cigarette smoking shall be not allowed at work, in lifts, corridors, waiting rooms, schools, faculties, hospitals, cinemas… any more. There shall even be no room for smokers. Serbia...

As of Thursday, November 11th smoking shall not be allowed in public traffic, i.e. busses, trolleybuses, trams, taxes, planes and other official vehicles. In two days passionate smokers shall have to choose cafes, restaurants and bars to go to since in many of them there shall be a ‘no smoking’ sign.

A citizen who violates the Law shall have to pay a fine of 5,000 Dinars (65.01 USD). Fines for company owners (30,000 (390.05 USD) to 50,000 (650.08 USD) Dinars) and companies (from a half to one million Dinars) are considerably larger.

Serbian President Boris Tadic Friday, May 7, 2010 signed into law new anti-smoking measures which will ban lighting up in most public places but gives some leeway for restaurants, bars and cafes. The law forbids smoking in state institutions and buildings, schools, social care institutions, buildings used for cultural and sports activities, media buildings and buildings where food is produced.
Fines for defying the ban are 50 euros (64 dollars) for individuals and up to 10,000 euros for companies. Restaurants, bars and cafes larger than 80 square metres will be forced to have a no-smoking zone covering at least half the premises. Smaller businesses can simply declare if they are smoking or non-smoking.

The law will come into effect in coming months but exact dates are not clear as there are processes of registration for eating and drinking establishments. More than one third (33.6 percent) of Serbia's eight million inhabitants are smokers, according to health statistics.

Serbia's New Law Forbids Smoking in Public Places by Sreeraman, MedIndia.ne, 5/8/2010.

References: Smokers free at their own homes only, BLIC online, 11/9/2010; Serbian smokers unhappy about having to curb habit New law entails hefty fines for those lighting up despite ban, AFP, 11/12/2010.

Serbia - related news brief:
Serbia - government abandons plans to introduce a blanket ban on smoking indoors..