On July 9, the Austrian Parliament has passed a tightened version of the national Tobacco Law, which - amongst other things - regulates smoking in the hospitality industry.
From January 2009 on, there will be a general smoking ban in bars and restaurants. This smoking ban is eased by a number of exceptions and leaves the innkeepers a certain freedom to choose.
Bars and restaurants over 80 square meters have to provide a separated non-smoking area that makes up at least fifty percent of the venue's total area.
If the bar or restaurant is not bigger than fifty sqm (or eighty sqm, if the local authorities agree that the available room cannot be partitioned into two separate rooms), it is totally up to the owner to decide, whether he or she wants to operate as a smoking or non-smoking business.
All smokers rooms have to be provided with warning signs ("Smoking endangers your own health and the health of your fellow people").
Although the original conception of the law comprised various
restrictions with regard to employee protection, most of those have been discarded. Nevertheless there are restrictions for mothers-to-be and juvenile trainees.
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