Haifa’s Grand Canyon mall to prohibit smoking rooms
02/06/2013 10:03
Mall set to become the first business to voluntarily shut down its smoking areas.
Woman smokes a cigarette Photo: Daniel Munoz/Reuters
Although Health Ministry regulations only bar “smoking rooms” in health
facilities and government buildings, the Grand Canyon mall in Haifa is to become
the first business to voluntarily shut down its smoking areas. From February 15
the mall will only allow smoking outdoors, at a minimum of 10 meters from its
entrances.
“We want clean air,” said mall manager Yisrael Savyon, who
pledged to fight smoking that “causes the deaths of many people, and disease in
many more.”
Smoking is barred in workplaces and in a growing number of
public spaces, and owners of establishments where illegal smoking is carried out
are liable to enforce the laws or be at risk of paying NIS 5,000 per
incident. Smokers in places where it is prohibited can each be fined NIS
1,000.
But the law is inadequately enforced by municipal inspectors, and
the ministry has not yet finished preparing regulations on signs and other
requirements to enforce the latest law that went into effect last July.