Romania's most burning issue - the anti-smoking law - will change our lives forever starting this spring. The Constitutional Court, whose chairman is a chain-smoker, has ruled that the law can be promulgated in its current form.
Five Romanians die from smoking-related diseases every hour, but few people are willing to give up their "costly" habit.
She would rather be fined instead. For this young lady, smoking is a fundamental freedom. Constitutional Court judges disagree and ruled that the Anti-smoking law can take effect as soon as possible.
A lot of ashtrays will be tossed away during the spring clean-up.
The law will take effect 45 days after it is published in the Official Gazette. Cigarettes will be extinguished for good in any indoor public place. Statistics show that young smokers will suffer the most. 4 out of 10 Romanians aged 25 to 39 are chain smokers.
Official data show that tobacco kills more than forty thousand Romanians every year.