The country known for its high-quality cigars banned smoking of all kinds in public places Monday, as the Cuban government acknowledged the health risk of tobacco.
Smoking will be banned in restaurants, except in designated areas, and cigarette machines also will be removed. The law will also suspend sales of cigarettes to children under age 16 and at stores less than 100 yards from schools.
According to government statistics, four of every 10 Cubans smoke, and 30 percent of the 15,000 deaths from preventable cancers each year can be linked to smoking.
News of the ban was first announced last month, when it was published in Cuba's National Gazette by the Commerce Ministry.
The resolution said the move was "taking into account the damage to human health caused by the consumption of cigarettes and cigars, with the objective of contributing to a change in the attitudes of our population."
Tobacco is the communist-run island's third-largest export — producing an average of 150 million hand-rolled cigars worth about $200 million a year — and is recognized worldwide for its quality.
