Finland proposes new law allowing housing associations to ban balcony smoking

The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has proposed an amendment to tobacco legislation that would enable housing associations to independently ban smoking on balconies, in shared courtyards, and inside apartments where smoke spreads to other units.

Currently, such bans require approval from municipal authorities. Under the draft law, which entered a consultation round on Monday, housing associations would no longer need external permission to impose restrictions, according to a report by national broadcaster Yle.

The conditions for implementing smoking bans would remain the same as in the existing law. The proposal follows similar regulations already in place for other shared spaces.

The ministry’s initiative comes amid broader discussions on tobacco control, including recent measures in other countries to restrict youth access to cigarettes.