Russian authorities have decided to ban smoking in the balcony of buildings in the future, in a new rationing aimed at fire protection, a spokesman for the Emergency Ministry told the Russian TASS news agency Thursday in Moscow.
He added that this ban will be applied on October 1, indicating that those who will smoke after that must be calculated to pay a fine of 3000 rubles (equivalent to 42 euros).
The spokesman said that if the cigarette caused a fire, the fine would be greater.
The ban also includes candles and iron bars needed to grill on balconies. Germany is not banning smoking on balconies, but the Federal Supreme Court in Germany decided earlier this year that smokers would commit to light their cigarettes with balconies only at certain times. If smoking is considered to be "serious harm", it should be considered by them.