Thursday, September 12 2019 16:54

ArmInfo. In Armenia, the ban on the demonstration of tobacco products in retail facilities will enter into force on January 1, 2021, and the ban on smoking indoors -  from March 2022. Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan, presenting  the corresponding draft decision approved by the Cabinet, announced  this on September 12 in an interview with reporters.

According to the minister, many provisions of the bill will come into  force gradually - until 2024. The expected beneficial effect from the  implementation of the legislative initiative is so great that,  according to the head of the Ministry of Healthcare, the issue of the  size of the fine for failure to comply with the requirements of the  normative act recedes into the background. "The fine is established  in order not to violate the legal regulations. Therefore, the issue  of the size of the fine is secondary," he said.

To recall, as early as 2017, the Cabinet of Ministers of Armenia  approved the Anti-Smoking Strategy for 2017-2020. Head of the  Ministry of Healthcare of that time Levon Altunyan stated that  following the results of 2020, a decrease in the number of smokers by  3-5% is expected in Armenia.  In early 2018, the Ministry of  Healthcare of Armenia prepared a new draft law "On Reducing and  Preventing the Negative Impact of the Use of Tobacco Products", which  proposes to ban the use of tobacco products, their analogues and  tobacco substitutes in the territories of medical and educational  institutions, including universities, in theater concert complexes,  museums, libraries, cinemas, entertainment centers, gyms and  stadiums. Violators face an administrative fine. The Ministry of  Healthcare of that time established a number of restrictions both on  the age limit of smokers and on territories where smoking is  prohibited.

It was reported that as part of the legislative initiative of the  Armenian Ministry of Healthcare, amendments to the Code of  Administrative Offenses (CAO) are planned. So, smoking in unspecified  places will entail a fine of 250 thousand drams. In case of repeated  violation within 3 months, the fine will be 500 thousand drams.

New Minister Arsen Torosyan more diligently embarked on a "promotion"  of the anti-tobacco campaign.