Starting from January 1, Armenian supermarkets, smaller shops and kiosks are not allowed to display cigarette packs on their shelves. Nor can they advertise tobacco brands, e-cigarettes and vaporizers in any way.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stressed the importance of the ban at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan. Pashinian said relevant government inspectorates must ensure retailers’ compliance with it.
“We are doing everything to get people to forget about buying cigarettes,” he said.
Health Minister Anahit Avanesian said the new restrictions should specifically help to prevent many minors and other young Armenians from becoming smokers.
Davit Melik-Nubarian, a public health expert, welcomed the measure. “This is the right path,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “Those who have travelled abroad must have noticed that such regulations are in force in Russia and European Union countries and they are really effective.”
Armenia is a nation of heavy smokers, with few restrictions on tobacco sales and use enforced to date. According to the Ministry of Health, 28 percent of the country’s adult population are regular smokers. Medics blame this for a high incidence of lung cancer among Armenians.
A study jointly conducted by the ministry, the United Nations and other international organizations found that each year smoking-related diseases kill about 5,500 people in the country of about 3 million.
The sales restrictions stem from a law drafted by the Ministry of Health and passed by the Armenian parliament about two years ago. The law also banned smoking in cafes, restaurants and all other indoor public places. The ban’s entry into force was delayed until March 2022.
Melik-Nubarian said the government should also sharply raise taxes on tobacco. “Unfortunately, cigarette prices in Armenia are the lowest in the region,” he said.