In a survey conducted by the Serbian Association of Employers, on the occasion of the Ministry of Health’s announcement of amendments to the Law on the Protection of the Population from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke and the introduction of a ban on smoking in all closed premises – 58.1% of employers supported the proposal for a complete ban on smoking in closed premises.
All respondents believe that it is necessary to leave a deadline for businessmen to adapt, if the amendments to the law are adopted. The majority of surveyed employers see a period of one year as the optimal deadline for the implementation of new legal solutions.
Employers who support a complete ban on smoking cite the improvement of air quality, improvement of employee health, positive image of the company, reduction of fire risk and other reasons as arguments for such changes.
On the other hand, respondents who oppose a complete ban warn of the risks of economic losses, closure of some facilities, termination of a number of jobs, disruptions in the supply chain, but also the loss of freedom of choice and the feeling of discrimination.
Slightly less than half of the respondents believe that the fine should be up to 50,000 RSD, while only a fifth of the surveyed employers supported the proposal of draconian fines in the amount of 500,000 to 1 million RSD.
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