You are seeing more an more hotels rooms with the "NO FUMA" sign
If you smoke, you may have problems in Costa Rica. Back in May, 2009 the government imposed a tax hike on cigarettes which pretty much outraged smokers when the price jumped about 30%, then it followed with a year later the countries first international say “No” To Smoking Day. A few days later thousands of school children in Cartago gathered to unite against smoking at “Fello” Meza Stadium – one of the stadiums to ban smoking.
Laws on smoking narrow down to the option of the business and not government enforcement; in other words, pretty much all of the larger tourist corporations are jumping on the anti-smoking bandwagon, especially in the downtown section of San Jose.
At San Jose International Airport, many think it is government operation. However, it is run, maintain, administrated, and operated by a private company, Alterra Partners, who have elected to have a smoking room below the Burger King food court.
Last January, the popular chain Spoon banned smoking at seven locations. Peruvian chain Chancay and Italian restaurants Il Panino, Il Ritorno and Tre Scalini also banned the practice. Grupo Roble, owners of Multiplaza Escazú and Oeste have had a smoking ban on their premises since the start of 2008. Even small tourist towns like Puente Jimenez their BM grocery store (largest in town) does not sell cigarettes or cigars.
Hotels chains, Sleep (a green hotel) and luxury Holiday Inn in downtown San Jose have gone overboard or almost anal about it. Holiday Inn now adds an unreal or penalty (cleaning) fee of $250 to your bill and will charge your credit card, if your room smells like smoke. According to one of the managing employees the maids are suppose to tell the desk if they smell smoke in a room, and needless to say, it has caused a stir to some cigar smokers when they see their bill during check out.
It is also understandable, many of the eco-tours and natural parks smoking is forbidden.
Most Costa Rica’s are candied about smoking, with almost a coin flip if they are for or against it because public smoking regulations and smoke-free zones have yet to take hold. Restaurants are required by law to have nonsmoking areas, but enforcement is very lax, air-circulation poor, and the separating almost nonexistent. Bars and casinos as a whole are often smoke-filled in Costa Rica.
Warnings are required on all Cigarettes
At the El Presidente Hotel in San Jose, smoking is permitted in the bar and restaurant. Other places like the luxury Crocodile Bay Resort, in Puente Jimenez the bar can become a haze of cigar smoking fishermen during the evening, but the restaurant (which has great food) and other areas of the resort are relatively smoke free.
Other places that are geared to the eco-guru and open air coffee shops will surprise you with their non-smoking and smoking policy. For example, eco-hotel Cabinas Jimenez has ash trays in the room. On a recent trip to Golfito we stopped at a open-air and local eatery to get coffee. I was totally surprise that it had a no-smoking policy, but the tiny bar next to the airport was smoked filled and the hotel we stayed at had ashtrays stacked high in the rooms, bar and restaurant area.
Most higher-end hotels have at least some nonsmoking rooms. However, many midranges, cheap hotels and some bed and breakfasts are pretty laissez-faire when it comes to smoking. Whenever possible, the presence of nonsmoking rooms is noted in the establishment’s description information.
According to Costa Rica Social Security System’s about 12 percent of the population (about 400,000 men and 140,000 women) smoke and strangely enough, that is about the same percentage in the US. Costa Rica’s Health Ministry is working to ban smoking altogether in all restaurants and shopping centers. The set of laws include restrictions on cigarette advertising and they have imposed health warnings on cigarette packs.
Another cigarette related law that was aimed to block selling cigarettes one by one which many of the small bars and street venders sell to target young people and those with low incomes has not happened.
Well the law has passed. Those who do not smoke spend to much time trying to change other people..You feel if you see someone smoking it will harm you..You need to respect smokers as well.. I'm sorry I have not smoked for over 15 years but I feel the laws are over board..The problem for me is the open air policy not in closed bars or resturants..I have seen this happen in California bans on no smoking on the Beach..Give me a break, again non-smokers trying to change people..I read above about Golfito and ashtrays in the rooms..Get a grip. Most rooms are set up for smoking or non smoking..Like you said everyone has a right to do what they want…Not true..The laws are on your side..The whole problem here is the loss of rights..I'm sorry more pressure on people will not change the problem. Education will..Costa Rica has a bad reputation with where the money goes. Sorry the roads in this Southern Zone are more hazardous to our Health that second hand smoke..I'm sorry we will all die from something…Pura Vida
Espero que algun dia se logre aprobar una verdadera ley que prohiba totalmente el fumado en lugares publicos. Los que NO fumamos tenemos derecho a disfrutar tranquilamente de cualquier tipo de lugar, sin las molestias que ocaciona ese humo. Cada quien tiene derecho a hacer lo que desee con su vida y si deciden morir asi es su decision no la nuestra , mas respeto, consideracion y mas firmeza con esas leyes. Las leyes aqui les falta un largo camino de evolucion
Translation of Meri’s comment: I hope someday to achieve and pass a real law completely banning smoking in public places. Those who do not smoke have the right to peaceful enjoyment of any place, without the hassles that occasion that smoke. Everyone has the right to do what you want with your life and if they choose to die so his decision is not ours, but respect, consideration and more firmly with those laws. The laws here have a long path of evolution