Tobacco-loving Serbs face smoking ban

BELGRADE, Serbia — Forget about the economic crisis and unemployment, Serbs have another burning issue on their hands — a smoking ban.

The law restricting smoking that took effect Thursday is rattling the tobacco-loving Balkan nation where every third citizen is a smoker and where cigarettes have been part of the daily routine for centuries.

While the law does not impose a complete smoking ban in cafes and restaurants, they must introduce nonsmoking areas and smoking is no longer allowed in offices and public areas such as theaters, cinemas or concert halls.

Neven Boskovic, a Belgrade cafe owner said he had fewer customers than usual, lamented his empty nonsmoking section — and pointing out his full smoking area.

Nada Jevremovic and her colleagues huddled in a small group outside Serbia's National Museum in downtown Belgrade early Thursday, unable to have their morning coffee and cigarette ritual indoors.

"This is really drastic that we have to go out in the street to smoke," she complained, professing her need for her fix to "calm down."

That wouldn't surprise psychologist Zarko Trebjesanin, who said the ban will be very hard on smokers "who will feel panic and anxiety."

According to the law, individuals violating the ban can be fined up to 5,000 dinars ($65; €47) and business can be handed a fine of up to 1 million dinars. Authorities said they will be tough in implementing the new rules.

The law is a "step forward" for the country that aspires to be an EU member, argued Health Minister Tomica Milosavljevic. He said that "it is important that we try to act differently, to reduce the smoke around us."

Numerous anti-smoking campaigns have failed to wean Serbs off smoking, particularly during the crisis years in the 1990s. But psychologist Trebjesanin said a tough new law could help — even in smoky Serbia.

"If this could work in so many other countries, why not here?" he said.