Key Points:
1.Russian officials have officially included common balconies of residential buildings in the smoking ban, with violators facing fines ranging from 500 to 1500 rubles (6 to 19 US dollars).
2.Legal professionals pointed out that smoking in public areas is not only illegal, but may also violate fire safety regulations.
3.Authorities are urging residents to report disturbances caused by smoking on balconies, and law enforcement agencies can take action in accordance with the law.
According to a report from Gazeta on May 14th, Sergey Kolunov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma's Committee on Construction and Housing Utilities in Russia, stated in an interview that smoking is strictly prohibited in elevators, hallways, lobbies, and other public spaces in residential buildings under current laws. Offenders will face administrative fines ranging from 500 to 1500 rubles ($6 to $19).
He emphasized that although some residents mistakenly believe that the hallway balconies are private spaces, from a legal perspective, this area falls under the category of public use and therefore the smoking ban applies. He added that even if residents smoke in their own homes, if the smoke affects their neighbors, they can be reported by neighbors and dealt with by the police. The same penalties also apply to smoking water pipes in public places.
Russian legal expert and Doctor of Law Alexander Karabanov has also publicly stated that if residents feel uncomfortable due to their neighbors smoking on the balcony, they can report it to the authorities. He pointed out that from a fire safety perspective, balconies, hallways, and other areas are also considered high-risk areas for causing fires.
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