A smoking ban covering most public places, including restaurants, cafes, schools and hospitals has gone into effect today in Syria.

The law, which also applies to parks, sports centers, movie theaters, museums and public transportation, was approved six months ago by President Bashar Assad as part of a push to improve public health. It forbids the sale of cigarettes to minors as well as smoking water pipes. Water pipes, or shishas, are very popular in the country, but the use is now legal only in well-ventilated and designated areas. Offenders will be fined about USD 45 and USD 870, and received anywhere from three months to a year in jail, depending on the violation.
Observers expect that few smokers will obey the new ban. (pi)