Tobacco.org

• Portuguese government reduces smoking in public places 

Portuguese bar and restaurant owners criticized a government proposal to restrict indoor smoking, saying Friday that such a move would hurt thousands of establishments already suffering amid a national economic slump. The government late Thursday announced plans to reduce smoking, including a ban in workplaces, but said it would first allow for a period of public discussion before finalizing proposals to go into force next year.

"If the government put the document up for public discussion, it's because it's open to other opinions," Health Minister Antonio Correia de Campos said. Some 31 percent of men and 18 percent of women smoke in Portugal , and the habit is responsible for 26 percent of the country's cancer deaths, Correia de Campos said.

The government wants to ban smoking in all offices, but proposed exceptions for large leisure and entertainment venues with separate, ventilated smoking sections.

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