Malta Revises Tobacco Control Bill (Illustrated)

According to reports from The Times of Malta, in January 2017, the Maltese government announced its decision to revise the tobacco control bill to further reduce smoking rates and decrease consumer consumption of various tobacco products, aiming to protect public health.

The main content of this revision prohibits smoking in private vehicles when minors under the age of 16 are present, which includes the increasingly popular electronic cigarettes and similar smoking devices.

A representative from the country's health department stated in an interview that minors are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of secondhand smoke, which can lead to respiratory diseases. Additionally, since private vehicles are relatively private spaces, the risk of infants being exposed to secondhand smoke is even greater, increasing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. It is under these circumstances that the government revised its tobacco control bill.

Furthermore, those who violate the new provisions of the tobacco control bill may face fines starting at 50 euros for each offense.