MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bs. Aires: Hunting down public smokers

City inspectors flocked to bars, restaurants shopping centres yesterday as a much talked about ban on smoking in public places became effective yesterday.

The City said some 50 fines had already been issued around midday yesterday to venues that did not abide by the new regulation. The only inclosed public places where smoking is allowed are venues that are more than 100 square metres big and that have no more than 30 percent of their surface available for smokers.

The smoking area in such venues must be cut off from the rest of venue, and non-smokers must not be obliged to walk through the smoking area at any time, meaning smokers cannot be cramped around entrance and exit doors or toilets.

The new ban on smoking is the second stage of a bigger government-driven programme against smoking. The first stage came in March, when smoking was forbidden at government offices and City hospitals ? press reports since have denounced government officials breaking the law. The third stage is expected for 2007, when the advertising of smoking is to be barred in all public places.

Venues where people are caught smoking can be smacked fines ranging from 200 to 2,00O pesos. Shops where tobacco is sold to people aged under 18 are also being fined ? between 50 and 500 pesos. Buenos Aires Herald