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Time in Yerevan: 11:07,   29 March 2024

Healthcare experts debate smoking ban bill in Armenia, fine rates seek drop in related diseases

Healthcare experts debate smoking ban bill in Armenia, fine rates seek drop in related diseases

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Alexander Bazarchyan, director of the National Healthcare Institute, believes that the fine rates for smoking in banned areas are associated with the high level of public damage of the offense. Others say the planned fines aren’t lawful. Nevertheless almost everybody believes that the restrictions will significantly impact on the number of smokers. Experts also don’t rule out future drops in number of smoking-relates diseases.

Experts talked to ARMENPRESS about smoking-related and high-mortality diseases in Armenia, the necessity for introducing the public smoking ban and the fine rates.

Bazarchyan said that according to 2015-2016 healthcare estimates, the daily tobacco use among Armenia’s population aged 15 and above comprised 26,2% (53,4% males and 2,3% females). According to the STEPS national research in 2016, tobacco usage among people aged 18-69 amounts 27,9%.

Every second man in Armenia is a smoker, while the number among women is incomparably lower. Men smokers amount 51,5%, while women only 1,8%.

The mortality rate from common non-infectious diseases in Armenia amounts 80%, with cardio-vascular diseases being the number 1 killer – 48%, followed by cancer – 20% and diabetes – 4,2%.

“90% of lung cancer patients are smokers”, says oncologist-gynecologist Vahe Ter-Minasyan. The doctor believes that nobody should be banned from smoking, but smokers should be banned from smoking in public areas next to other people.

According to him, when a previous smoking ban was adopted without liabilities and fines, it was ignored. However, people only start to follow the rules when it can cause financial trouble.

Ter-Minasyan says he is absolutely in favor of the planned fines. He says the ban will positively impact the number of smokers and also indirectly the number of oncologic diseases.

“Smoking should definitely be stopped. We must be able to maximally minimize tobacco use in the society,” chief cardiologist of Yerevan Parunak Zeyveyan said. “We must focus on the youth, they shouldn’t smoke from the beginning”.

According to him the planned bans can impact on the decrease of cardiovascular diseases, but solely fines and sanctions aren’t enough. “I don’t think that we will be able to achieve the expected result only with fines, moreover with this kind of fines, which in my personal opinion are unreal. I didn’t notice accurate analysis and pattern in them [fines]. They say a high price is defines to intimidate people from smoking”, he said, adding that social ads will be more important.

Alexander Bazarchyan however is in favor of the defined fines under the new ban. He mentioned that the current rates have been reviewed because they failed to provide the preventive function of the administrative fine.

“By observing the practice of several countries we can say that the fine rates of such violations are pretty high”, he said.

In Great Britain for example, the maximal fine for smoking in banned areas is 2500 pounds, in Ireland it is 3000 Euros.

The bill on smoking ban in public areas is currently under debate in Armenia.

The fines for violating the ban range from 100 dollars to 1500 dollars.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan

 








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