Smoking ban to extend outside
The smoking ban in public places in Sweden may come to include outside areas too, especially areas where children risk being exposed to passive smoking. Folkhälsoinstitutet (the Swedish National Institute of Public Health) is handing in a proposal to the government in December. The institute is currently mapping out the health risks associated with passive smoking in public places. According to Matthew Richardson, departmental director at Folkhälsoinstitutet, Sweden has rules that allow for more smoking than other countries. For instance in Singapore, Spain, and parts of Australia, there’s a smoking ban at playgrounds. In Hong Kong, California, and Australia and several parts of the coast of the Mediterranean, it is not allowed to smoke on the beaches.

Minority flags on Stockholm buses?
Gunilla Roxby Cromvall from the Swedish Left Party suggests minority flags are put on Stockholm buses. Cromvall would like to see minorities’ commemorative days celebrated in this fashion. “Buses with flags are a nice image, today for instance we’re observing the Crown Princess’ name’s day. I think we should also observe our five different international minorities,” Cromvall writes. The five acknowledged national minorities in Sweden are: Jews, Samis, Romani people, Sweden Finns, and Tornedalians. Having the status “minority” means that the language is preserved as a “national minority language” and that these groups are especially protected in order to keep their culture alive. The buses in Stockholm carry the rainbow flag during the Pride Festival every year.