No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveTobacco company wants overhaul of Costa Rica’s smoking ban

Tobacco company wants overhaul of Costa Rica’s smoking ban

The British American Tobacco Company is taking advantage of a time frame for public consultation to ask for changes to an anti-smoking law adopted last March.

Felicio Ferraz, the tobacco company’s regional manager, said that smoking areas should be created, and current legislation does not specify where people can smoke. The company also called for the creation of outdoor areas for smokers in public places, restaurants and other businesses.

Ferraz added that advertising regulations should be more flexible, because “[lawmakers] are going too far in limiting the display of the product at retail points.”

Tobacco companies had no opportunity to present their position to lawmakers who approved the smoking ban, Ferraz said, and should therefore be granted access in talks over future revisions.

The public consultation on the new law runs through June 4, and approval of the final text is expected by June 26.

President Laura Chinchilla signed the “Control of Tobacco and its Harmful Effects on Health Bill” on March 22. The law bans smoking in restaurants, bars, casinos and other businesses, as well as at airports, and taxi and bus stands, among other areas.

Trending Now

Are Boomers Changing Costa Rica? One Expat’s Unfiltered Take

According to the most recent demographic study, over 20% of all US citizens are classified as within the Boomer age range. Every year, many...

Former Costa Rican Minister Indicted in US on Drug Trafficking Charges

Celso Manuel Gamboa Sánchez, once a top Costa Rican security minister and judge, now sits in a maximum-security prison cell awaiting possible extradition to...

US Visa Cost Increase for Travelers and Workers Under New Law

United States President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law on July 4, introducing a new surcharge for most non-immigrant US...

Canadian Tourism to Costa Rica Drops Amid Rising Crime Concerns

Canadian visits to Costa Rica have started to drop in 2025, with crime playing a big part in the shift. Data from the Costa...

Caral Citadel in Peru Opens After 3,800 Years

A 3,800-year-old citadel belonging to the Caral civilization—one of the oldest in the world—opened its doors to the public this Saturday after eight years...

Vigilante Justice in Quake-Hit Guatemala Town Claims Five Lives

In a Guatemalan town reeling from recent earthquakes, residents took matters into their own hands on Thursday night, lynching five men they accused of...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica