The number of complaints for non-compliance with the smoking ban is down sharply according to figures provided by the Minister of Health, Maggie De Block, to MP Yoleen Van Camp (N-VA).
DROP IN NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FOR BREACH OF TABA LEGISLATIONC
The general ban on smoking in closed places accessible to the public, in particular horeca establishments, dates back to July 2011. In 2012, the FPS Health still recorded 1.327 complaints, mainly in Dutch (1.166). From 2013, the number rose to 953 to reach 318 last year. Between 2012 and 2016, 25.396 checks were carried out in Flanders, 4.766 in Brussels and 18.288 in Wallonia. In 52% of cases, cafes and nightclubs were checked and in 32% of cases shops.
In Flanders, 3.632 minutes were written for 384 in Brussels and 1.088 in Wallonia. About a quarter of the checks took place late in the evening and during the night. In 22% of cases, offenses were found in cafes. " Operators are likely to assume that no controls are exercised at night“, Underlined the Minister. In 2016, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Service had 36 inspectors, 10 more than in 2012.
Source : Rtl.be/
