The Ministry of Health announces that the draft law on tobacco protection has been published in the National Electronic Register of Regulations (NECR), where all interested citizens and organizations can participate in the public debate before its adoption.
"With this law, we open a fundamental issue that directly affects the health and future of our children and young people. The facts are clear and indisputable - tobacco and nicotine remain the main cause of premature deaths, exposure to smoke and aerosols harms even those who have not chosen to smoke, while new nicotine products, flavors, aggressive marketing and digital promotion are aimed precisely at young people. Therefore, the Ministry of Health has prepared a new Law on Protection from Tobacco, the purpose of which is not punishment, but prevention, public health and the protection of the most vulnerable categories of citizens", assesses the Minister of Health, Azir Aliu.
The Ministry of Health says that the purpose of the new legal changes is to establish control over the presentation and distribution of new tobacco and nicotine products, especially over their aggressive promotion and easy access.
At the same time, a complete ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship is foreseen, as well as a restriction on the sale and display of tobacco and nicotine products, as preventive measures to support quitting addiction, as well as a strengthening of the ban on smoking in public and work spaces.
"With this law, we send a clear message that health is a higher value than any commercial interest, that children's health cannot be the object of profit, and that public space must be a safe space."
"Also, the legal solution is harmonized with European regulations and the international obligations that the state has undertaken, including the principles of the World Health Organization Framework Convention," the Ministry of Health says.
