People who smoke in banned places will be fined up to 2250 lei or have to do unpaid community service for 40 to 60 hours. The fine for legal entities will be up to 15 000 lei, with deprivation of the right to carry out a certain activity for up to one year. The draft has been endorsed by the Social Protection, Health and Family Commission and is to be submitted to the full Parliament for approval, IPN reports.

In addition to increased fines, the document, drafted by the Ministry of Health jointly with the National Agency for Public Health, contains provisions on expanding the list of places where smoking is banned, as well as unique requirements for labeling all tobacco and tobacco-related products.

The legislative proposals cover all types of tobacco and tobacco-related products - cigarettes, e-cigarettes, devices for heating activated tobacco or hookahs.

Smoking will be banned in open public places, workplaces, windows, sports fields, children's playgrounds, parks, beaches and public transportation stations. Smoking is also banned in stairwells, elevator cabins and other places of common use.

According to statistics, three out of ten Moldovans of adult age are smokers, and more than a quarter of them consume tobacco products every day.