KARLSRUHE, Germany, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A group of German hotel and restaurant owners has filed an official challenge against a restaurant smoking ban set to expand in 2008.
The challenge, filed with Germany's constitutional court, targets the smoking ban already imposed in several German states and poised to expand to 16 others in 2008, Deutsche Welle said Saturday.
A statement from the hospitality federation said its filing was an attempt to protect owners' rights in light of the stringent anti-smoking regulations.
"Our suit is not meant as a challenge to the rights of non-smokers but as a bid to protect the rights of restaurant owners whose establishments consist of only one room and who will suffer economically as a result of this ban," the group said.
In addition to eliminating smoking from eateries and bars, the new smoking ban targets other public buildings, hospitals and schools.
Deutsche Welle said the ban also will apply to the country's famed October beer festival, which brings $1.4 billion into the German state of Bavaria.
