A ban on smoking in the outdoor areas of restaurants has been lifted, after a legal notice was issued on Friday.

The Health Ministry had banned smoking of any tobacco products within a 10 metre distance of places where food is served through a legal notice last May.

Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci had defended the ban, saying that it was to protect the wellbeing of all customers and to respect the 80% of Maltese who do not smoke.

The legal notice – LN 294 of 2020 – removes regulation 5A from the Tobacco (Smoking Control Act), meaning that smoking is now permissible in the outdoor areas of restaurants again. It was published by the Health Ministry.

It was published yesterday, 24 July.

Smoking remains banned indoors.