Smoking Cypriot MPs to debate smoking drivers
NICOSIA (AFP) – The Cypriot government has approved a tough new anti-smoking bill banning drivers from puffing at the wheel that will be submitted to Parliament, government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said yesterday. The state-backed bill is likely to have a rough ride in Parliament, with most MPs addicted and often criticized for smoking during committee sessions. Drivers caught sneaking a puff at the wheel face a maximum 1,000-pound ($1,550) fine. Eating or using a mobile phone while driving is already banned in Cyprus, although such regulations are widely ignored on the roads. The proposed bill consolidates existing legislation prohibiting smoking in public places and in the wider public sector. This includes theaters, ministries, indoor sports arenas, cinemas, hospitals, food processing areas and, most recently, banks. This is a hobby that doesn’t exist in Greece… I am confident that the judges and prosecutors will keep that in mind, he said.
