Epress.am News from Armenia
World Health Organisation (WHO) member states — including Armenia — celebrate World No Tobacco Day (also known as World Smokefree Day) today.
As reported by the RA Ministry of Healthcare, this year World No Tobacco Day celebrates the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the process of its implementation in countries around the world.
According to the press release issued by WHO, since it was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2003, 172 countries and the European Union have become Parties to the WHO FCTC. Among other measures, the Parties are obliged over time to:
- protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke
- ban tobacco advertising and sales to minors
- put large health warnings on packages of tobacco
- ban or limit additives to tobacco products
- increase tobacco taxes
- create a national coordinating mechanism for tobacco control.
Weighing in on Armenia’s implementation of the Convention and its results in Armenia, the healthcare ministry notes the program began quite successfully, the proof of which are in the laws, sub-legislative acts and related decisions.
Research, however, shows that there are gaps which require special attention and persistence in policy and activities. For example, though there are several legislative acts that regulate smoking in public spaces, the issue lies in the actual application of these laws.
Armenia’s healthcare ministry, however, points out that it is working with all stakeholders in implementing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and toward the effective application of this instrument in Armenia.