Two More Years Before Anti-Smoking Bill Takes Effect in Restaurants

On February 13 2020, in a second hearing, Armenia’s parliament voted in favor of the anti-smoking bill drafted by the Ministry of Health. The bill, among other measures, bans indoor smoking in public areas, advertising tobacco products, makes conditions for tobacco sales stricter.

The bill formally titled “Law on Minimizing and Preventing Harm to Human Health from Use of Tobacco Products and Substitutes” was voted in favor by 76, against by 17 parliamentarians, with 7 abstaining. Those against included “Bright Armenia” and Kristine Poghosyan from “My Step” Coalition.

The restrictions to tobacco use, sales and advertising will be applied not only to “traditional” tobacco products, but also electronic tobacco and hookah.

While the law bans use of tobacco products in public areas, smoking will be completely banned in public eating areas only starting the year 2022.

Armenians will also not be allowed to smoke while driving cars or buses. In addition, the bill imposes a blanket ban on any form of tobacco advertising.

Indoor smoking will be punishable by up fines ranging from 50,000 drams ($105) to 200,000 drams.

The bill was drafted by the Ministry of Health and submitted to the Armenian government for approval one year ago. It underwent some changes before being approved by the National Assembly in the first reading in December. In particular, it was decided that the ban on smoking in cafes and restaurants will come into force in March 2022.

Deputies representing the opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK) voted against the final version of the bill, saying that it will hurt many businesses. One of them, Gevorg Gorgisian, argued that Armenia’s leading cigarette manufacturer, the Grand Tobacco company, is now the country’s number one corporate taxpayer.

“Let’s develop other sectors of the economy before starting to hit this one,” Gorgisian said during a parliament debate that preceded the vote.

Deputy Health Minister Lena Nanushian, who presented the bill to lawmakers, dismissed such arguments.

“Ten percent of annual deaths [in Armenia] result from smoking,” said Nanushian. “This 10 percent is a serious figure, my dear deputies: every year 3,000 people die as a result of smoking.”

Armenia is a nation of heavy smokers with few restrictions on tobacco sales and use enforced to date. According to Ministry of Health estimates, 52 percent of Armenian men are regular smokers. Medics blame this for a high incidence of lung cancer among them. The smoking rate among women is much lower.

Nanushian also warned of health risks posed by passive smoking when she spoke in the parliament in December. Citing surveys conducted in 2016 and 2017, she said that more than 70 percent of pregnant women in the country are “exposed to secondhand smoke every day.”