Munich (dpa) - Visitors to the Munich Oktoberfest will be able to
puff cigarettes in the crowded beer tents this year after the
Bavarian cabinet announced steps Tuesday to relax a smoking ban that
came into force in January.
Under the reprieve, beer tents and those serving wine or used for
special functions will be exempted from the smoking ban for 12
months.
"From January 1, 2009 the smoking ban will be enforced in the
tents," said Bavarian Prime Minister Guenther Beckstein.
The original ban, which came into force two months ago, also
outlawed smoking in public buildings, schools, hospitals, bars and
restaurants.
Smoking bans are in force in 14 of Germany's 16 federal states,
but the one in Bavaria was by far the toughest because it did not
allow bars to set aside special rooms for smokers.
It would have been the first time in the Oktoberfest's 200-year
history that people would not be allowed to smoke in the massive beer
tents, some of which can accommodate up to 10,000 guests.
A national smoking ban in trains, public transport, taxis and
federal buildings came into force in Germany in September.
The government was forced to drop plans for a far-reaching
nationwide smoking because of constitutional restrictions granting
many of the powers to the federal states.
Copyright 2008 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH