Finland has prohibited smoking on public beaches and playgrounds to spare children of passive smoking and reduce littering in leisure spaces, Finnish public broadcaster YLE reports.
The Nordic nation introduced from Sunday, May 1, a ban on smoking at playgrounds and on public beaches. Smoking will be prohibited at public beaches from the beginning of May to the end of September annually.
Rules against flavour cards
Finland’s amended Tobacco Act also takes aim at tobacco flavouring products. This concerns flavour cards that can be put inside a cigarette pack to make the smoke taste like chocolate, strawberry and menthol. Retailers and wholesalers will, however, be allowed to sell products that are already in stores and warehouses may be sold until the end of April 2023.
To further reduce the appeal of tobacco or smoking products, Finland will introduce from 2023, stricter regulations on product packaging. The stricter Tobacco Act will oblige manufacturers to remove logos from unit packets of tobacco products, e-cigarettes and refill containers, YLE reports.