Bar and restaurant compliance with tobacco law under scrutiny
Minister of Health and Social Affairs Liisa Hyssälä has appointed the head of the Uusimaa regional institute of occupational health, Prof Kari Reijula, to investigate the compliance of bars and restaurants with existing tobacco control legislation and to assess the levels of exposure of customers to tobacco smoke. Professor Reijula will submit his report at end of September.
The tobacco control law was amended in 2000 to end exposure to tobacco smoke in the workplace and ensure that bars and restaurants were partially smokefree. The legislation allowed a transition period for bars and restaurants to adapt to the new situation, and one of Professor Reijula’s tasks will be to see how well they have made the transition. He will also make proposals for ways to further reduce or eliminate altogether exposure to tobacco smoke in bars and restaurants.