ArmInfo.The owners of hookah clubs in Armenia expect positive changes from meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Healthcare about possible amendments to the anti-tobacco law. This point of view was expressed by member of the Hookah Lovers Association, owner of the hookah club Gor Gasparyan at a press conference on February 12.
To recall, on January 21, participants of the protest action against the ban on smoking hookah addressed an open letter to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to hold talks on the anti-tobacco law.
"In our letter it was noted that we are ready to negotiate with the government, after which a meeting with Alexander Baklachyan and his team was held at the Healthcare Institute," Gasparyan explained.
In his speech, the owner of the hookah club called the very possibility of negotiations with the government a great progress, calling on the public and the authorities not to put an equal sign between smoking and smoking hookah. <We expect a positive shift from the meeting; we will make every effort so that the rights of hookah lovers are not infringed. We developed specific proposals around this law and in written form on February 13 we will transfer them to the Institute of Healthcare. After that, on February 15, there will be a discussion with representatives of the Ministry of Health regarding our proposals, " Gasparyan added.
The activists stressed that they have no relation to any public organization representing this field. "We will be the first representatives of the catering industry who will remove ashtrays from the tables and take control of the situation," added Gasparyan, stressing that having found a compromise solution with the authorities, they are ready to exercise enhanced control over 18+ people. According to activists, in the fight against bad habits to resort to extreme measures is unacceptable. <If we want to ban what is massively widespread, it should be done gradually. The correct mechanisms should be used; educational work should be carried out. We need to wait for the problem to carry a global threat. The cardinal method of combating smoking can lead to serious and negative consequences", the hookah's club owner concluded.