Armenia plans to delay anti-tobacco law’s entry into force

The National Assembly of Armenia on Tuesday is discussing—in the second reading—a bill within the framework of which it is planned to postpone the entry into force of the anti-tobacco law which was adopted in the country at the beginning of the year.

The authors of the bill argue that its entry into force now could have a "negative" impact on the country's economy.

But in Russia, anti-tobacco legislation continues to be tightened, as experience and research have shown that it has a positive impact on public health.

Director of the National Institute of Health of Armenia, Alexander Bazarchyan, told NEWS.am Medicine that what is happening regarding this anti-tobacco law in the country today can be called nothing but a step backwards.

According to him, today the anti-tobacco law in Armenia is the same as the ones in Russia and in many developed countries; as per many experts, this is a very modern law which is in the interests of public health.

The adoption of this law by Armenia was approved also by the World Health Organization, and the country has even been issued two licenses in this regard.

According to Bazarchyan, when the law was passed in Armenia, the timeframes for its entry into force were "compromise" so that the country’s respective businesses would have time to prepare for and adapt to it, and the business had enough time to prepare. “I am convinced that we have serious problems today, and it is to resolve them we must spend efforts, resources so that people can return to normal life," Alexander Bazarchyan concluded.

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