The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court ruled that a stairwell cannot be used as a legal smoking area because it does not meet the criteria set down in the law. A lawsuit was filed against a firm that decided to make a building’s staircase it designated smoking area.
In defense of the decision, the company told the court there is an additional stairwell in the building which can be used by non-smokers, so those wishing to distance themselves from the smoking may do so.
Justice Rachamim Cohen in his ruling stated a main staircase of a building cannot be a designated smoking area. He added the stairs are to serve the employees, visitors and service companies who wish to use them rather than availing themselves of the elevator.
The court added the staircase does not constitute a smoking area as defined by law; therefore it cannot be designated as such because it is incapable of protecting non-smokers from second hand smoke since it is not a closed defined space.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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2 Responses
Excellent decision. How many thousands of Gutte Yidden have died from Emphesema (spelling?) and lung cnacer over the decades from smoking. As a former Rav, I buried five people in one year from lung cancer who were steady smokers!
If only we had the guts to do it (I don’t know why not) the State of Israel should take the lead and totally outlaw the sale of cigarettes and cigars in the country. Maybe other countries would join and finally outlaw tobacco internationally. The tobacco growers could change the fields to growing healthy vegatables instead.
That’s prob. tough for the isrealis, their like chiminies