Smoking ban reviews forced in Germany

Germany’s high court says smoking bans in two states are unconstitutional, a decision which will force country-wide reviews of smoking prohibitions.

The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe today ruled on appeals brought by the owners of one-room pubs in the states of Baden Wuerttemberg and Berlin.

Most German states currently allow larger establishments to have smoking rooms but the court ruled that this discriminates against the single-room pubs which can’t offer smoking areas.

The court says either states have to eliminate smoking entirely in all establishments or change their rules regarding the smaller pubs.

It gave state parliaments until the end of next year to come up with new laws.