Despite new laws prohibiting smoking in public, Tel Aviv being somewhat lax about enforcement.
By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY
One month after the introduction of laws prohibiting smoking in public, Tel Aviv is being somewhat lax about enforcement, reports Yediot Tel Aviv.
The newspaper surveyed 30 pubs and nightclubs, and found that smoking was still going on freely at almost two-thirds of them.
According to the report, owners of entertainment spots were devastated when the laws against smoking in public places came into effect a month ago.
The laws placed the burden of enforcement on the owners, imposing heavy fines on those who allow patrons to smoke. A group of some 80 pub owners is currently preparing a court appeal against the law.
But in the meantime, it seems that the city's inspectors have better things to do than chase down smokers in pubs and nightclubs.
In the 30 night spots surveyed, only in 11 of them was the law was being enforced, with the owners setting up smoking rooms or insisting that smokers go outside. No response was reported from the municipality.