Retailers To Be Forced To Hide Cigarettes In Croatia

A new bill in Croatia is set to be introduced within the next three months that will force retailers to hide cigarettes from customers view, as the government looks at measures to reduce smoking amongst the nation’s youth.

“Around 10,000 people die as a result of smoking every year in Croatia, that is the size of the town Makarska,” said Health Minister Rajko Ostojic at a parliament sitting.

The new law, which is expected to come into effect in two months, has not gone down well with some tobacco producers, reports daily Jutarnji list, with some companies announcing that they will be lobbying for government to allow small traders a time period to adapt to the new law, adding that in the UK the adaptation period lasted as long as three years some big traders and 5 years for smaller traders.

If Croatia introduces the new bill it will join only Norway, Iceland, England, Ireland and Finland in Europe as nations to force retailers to remove cigarettes from the eye of consumers to underneath the counter.