While smoking costs the country’s health system money, the law prohibiting smoking in public places, the Ley de Antitabaco, generates revenue for the Ministerio de Salud (ministry of Health).
According to figures released by the Dirección de Planificación Estratégica y Evaluación de las Acciones en Salud del Programa de Control de Tabaco, the anti-tobacco law raised ¢33.261.650 colones (US$67.000 dollars) last year.
Marco Vinicio Marichal, explained that his department received 1.082 complaints, issuing 997 fines.
The official the majority of the fines were issued in the Brunca region, responsible for about ¢14.8 million colones in fines, followed by the North Central, Centra and West regions. Interesting enough, no complaints have been receive in the Cental Pacific region, a major tourist area that includes Puntarenas, Playa Jacó and Quepos/Manuel Antonio.
According to Marichal, the money will be used to combat cigarette smoking.
