Costa Rica

The Tobacco Control Law and Tobacco Control Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Work places,” as well as numerous types of public places that are workplaces for some, are included on the lists.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to indoor workplaces.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. The lists include virtually all types of indoor public places.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to indoor public places. For greater clarity, the law should specifically prohibit smoking in all indoor public places instead of listing those indoor public places that are smoke free.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Vehicles or means of transport paid for by passengers, ambulances and aerial tramways” and “rail and maritime means of transportation, as well as aircraft with point of origin and destination within the national territory” are on this list in the Law and Regulations. This is interpreted as encompassing all public transport and therefore the regulatory status “100% Smoke Free” is given.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in public transport.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Government centers and facilities and public institutions” are on this list. Therefore, government facilities are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in government facilities.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Workplaces” is on this list. The Law defines workplace as “a place that uses one or more workers who are employees or volunteers during working hours. It includes all connected or attached premises, as well as vehicles used by workers in the performance of their job.” The Regulations contain a similar definition. Private offices fall under this definition and therefore, private offices are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in private offices.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Health care and hospital centers or establishments” are on this list. Therefore, hospitals are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in hospitals.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Health care and hospital centers or establishments” are on this list, which includes residential healthcare centers. Therefore, public areas of residential healthcare facilities are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in public areas of residential healthcare facilities.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Health care and hospital centers or establishments” are on this list, which includes non-residential healthcare centers. Therefore, non- residential healthcare facilities are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in non-residential healthcare facilities.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Public and private educational and training centers”, “centers for social service”, and “recreational or amusement centers for minors” are on this list. The law is interpreted as prohibiting smoking in childcare facilities and preschools under these provisions. Therefore, childcare facilities and preschools are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in childcare facilities and preschools.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Public and private educational and training centers” are on this list. Therefore, primary and secondary schools are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in primary and secondary schools.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Public and private educational and training centers” are on this list. Therefore, universities and vocational facilities are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in universities and vocational facilities.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Shopping centers” are on this list. Therefore, shops are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in shops.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Cultural centers, cinemas, theaters, lecture halls, exhibits, libraries . . . auditoriums and museums” are on this list. Therefore, cultural facilities are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in cultural facilities.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Athletic facilities and places where spectacles and recreational activities of any kind occur” are on this list in the Law. The Regulations provide further explanation, stating: “Included are all areas involved in activities with massive concentrations of people, holiday gatherings, parties, and the like, and parks in general.” Because in indoor stadiums and arenas are places where athletic events, spectacles (defined in the Regulations), recreational activities, and activities with massive concentrations (defined in the Regulations) of people occur, indoor stadiums and arenas are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in indoor stadiums and arenas.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Restaurants” and “areas or establishments where food is prepared, processed, tasted or sold, such as restaurants, bars and cafeterias” are on this list. Therefore, restaurants are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in restaurants.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Night clubs, discotheques, bars” and “areas or establishments where food is prepared, processed, tasted or sold, such as restaurants, bars and cafeterias” are on this list. Therefore, bars, pubs, and nightclubs are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in bars, pubs, and nightclubs.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Casinos” are on this list. Therefore, casinos are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in casinos.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Workplaces” are on this list, and are defined as “a place that uses one or more workers who are employees or volunteers during working hours. . . .” Public areas of hotels and other lodging fall within the definition of “work place”; therefore, public areas of hotels and other lodging are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in public areas of hotels and other lodging.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Workplaces” are on this list, and are defined as “a place that uses one or more workers who are employees or volunteers during working hours. . . .” Hotel guestrooms are considered workplaces under the law and, therefore, are 100% smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to hotel guestrooms. For greater clarity, the law should specifically prohibit smoking in hotel guestrooms.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Centers for social service, except for open spaces in correctional institutions” are on this list in the Law and Regulations. The Regulations provide further explanation, stating: “It should be understood that this exception is applicable solely to adults deprived of their liberty, not to visitors and public officials.” Therefore, public areas in prisons and detention facilities – which are open to the general public, visitors, and public officials – are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in public areas of prisons and detention facilities.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Vehicles or means of transport paid for by passengers, ambulances and aerial tramways” and “rail and maritime means of transportation, as well as aircraft with point of origin and destination within the national territory” are on this list in the Law and Regulations. Therefore, trains, buses, and other shared ground transportation are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in trains, buses, and other shared ground transportation.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Vehicles or means of transport paid for by passengers, ambulances and aerial tramways” and “rail and maritime means of transportation, as well as aircraft with point of origin and destination within the national territory” are on this list in the Law and Regulations. Therefore, taxis are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in taxis.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Vehicles or means of transport paid for by passengers, ambulances and aerial tramways” and “rail and maritime means of transportation, as well as aircraft with point of origin and destination within the national territory” are on this list in the Law and Regulations. Therefore, commercial aircraft are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in commercial aircraft.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Vehicles or means of transport paid for by passengers, ambulances and aerial tramways” and “rail and maritime means of transportation, as well as aircraft with point of origin and destination within the national territory” are on this list in the Law and Regulations. Therefore, commercial watercraft are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in commercial watercraft.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “All areas belonging to ports or airports” and “bus terminals, bus stops, taxi stops, railways stations and stops, as well as any means of transport paid for by passengers that is duly authorized by the Council of Public Transportation” are on this list in the Law and Regulations. Therefore, public transport facilities are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in public transport facilities.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Escalators and elevators” are on this list. Therefore, escalators and elevators are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking on escalators and in elevators.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. The list includes: “Phone booths and ATM machine areas, as well as other spaces for public use of small dimensions. A space for public use of small dimensions is understood to refer to a space that does not occupy a surface area greater than five square meters” and these are therefore smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in phone booths, ATMs, and other places of small dimensions.

The Tobacco Control Law and its Regulations contain a list of places where smoking is prohibited and that must be 100% smoke free. “Centers for amusement, leisure or recreation for minors” are on this list. Therefore, these places are smoke free.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in centers for amusement, leisure, or recreation for minors.