Has anybody had any experience of restaurants following the new smoking laws signed into effect this month?
I read an entry on http://www.eatout.co.za/ about it. I also noticed a sign to that effect on a guesthouse in the Little Karoo last week.
According to the eat out website, heftier fines will now be dished out to restaurants that ignore smoking regulations and to individuals who smoke in public places.
Fines for breaching smoking laws have been increased to a maximum of R50 000 for owners of restaurants, pubs or bars, while the fine for individual smokers is set at R500.
The new bit is that restaurants that allow smoking on balconies and verandas need to take extra precautions. The new legislation bans smoking in “partially enclosed” public places.
Hudson’s Burger Joint in Cape Town is one place that didn’t enforce the rule when they first opened. I like their burgers so I’m hoping they’ve taken note!
Parents of young kids also listen up: it is now also illegal for persons under 18 to be allowed into a designated smoking area. Presumably that applies to watching rugby in pubs too. Chapmans Peak Hotel in Hout Bay is a venue that enforced that rule even before these regulations were introduced. Good for them.