Water park (illustrative)
Water park (illustrative)iStock

A class action lawsuit has been filed against a major Israeli water park after the park failed to enforce smoking laws, the Avir Naki organization reported.

The claimants, all of whom visited the Shefayim water park after July 11, 2012, have filed for 740 million NIS in damages after the park "violated...the law for preventing smoking in public places, and harmed the health of hundreds of thousands of the water park's visitors."

Israeli law forbids smoking in pools and the yards around pools, including in the grassy or paved areas around them. The law also forbids designating "smoking areas" in these places.

Anyone who visited Shefayim after July 11, 2012 can apply to join the lawsuit, or act as a witness in the case.

Separately, a new bill expanding Israel's list of places where smoking is forbidden went into effect on Saturday. The law bans smoking within 10 meters (10.9 yards) of the entrance to daycares and preschools, as well as at public parks and all events organized by the Israeli government and which take place in a defined area. This includes events organized by government bodies such as courts, rabbinic courts, local councils, and religious councils.

Approximately 800 of the 8,000 Israelis who die annually due to smoking-related illnesses are victims of secondhand smoke.