During a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on January 3, the government reviewed the Healthcare Ministry’s developed draft regarding strict restrictions on smoking. Amendments state that it will be forbidden to smoke on balconies of residential homes and closer than 10 m away from building entrances.

The draft law also provides for issuing rights to municipalities that would provide additional smoking restrictions, in order to protect residents from exposure to tobacco smoke. This will allow municipal councils to state whether or not t is necessary to set additional restrictions for historical and cultural monuments, during public events, specific streets, parks and other public places, notes the Healthcare Ministry’s Communication Department representative Oskars Sneiders.

The draft includes a definition of tobacco product advertisements, stating that communication, recommendation, action and placing of tobacco products in trading spots, using different attraction features, is considered an advertisement of tobacco products.

Tobacco product advertisements are prohibited in many countries of the world, Latvia included. It is scientifically proven that a general ban on tobacco advertisement and sponsoring significantly reduces use of tobacco products. In accordance with World Health Organization Convention on Tobacco Control, advertisement and sponsoring means any commercial communication, recommendation or action with the goal to affect or a possible goal to affect the use of tobacco products in a direct or indirect way, notes the ministry.

The ministry expects that this draft will have a positive impact on the general health of society, because the proposed changes will reduce residents’ exposure to different tobacco use encouraging activities. Amendments will also increase municipalities’ responsibility in the preservation of good health of society, by allowing municipal councils to set additional smoking restrictions.

Amendments will still need to be reviewed by the Saeima.

5.1 million deaths worldwide are caused by tobacco. One of every tenth death after 30 is related to tobacco. On top of that, around 600 000 people, one-third of them are children, die every year due to exposure to passive smoking, as the information from the World Health Organization.

Ref: 102.109.109.5548