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Armenia’s Tobacco production recorded a 19.9% increase in 2017 compared to the previous year’s data, according to the figures released by the National Statistical Service (NSS) of Armenia.

As the NSS data show, Armenia produced a total of 28,476,600 units of cigarettes in 2017, whereas the production stood at 23,754,400 cigarettes in January-December 2016.

According to the statistics, more than 50 percent of Armenian men and almost 4 percent of women above 16 years of age are smokers.

To note, the Armenian Ministry of Health recently drafted a bill to impose strict restrictions on tobacco use in the country, namely to ban smoking in public areas and tobacco sales in some places, with the anti-smoking  law promising to heavily fine those who do not comply with it. 

Speaking to Panorama.am, Roza Babayan, a representative of the National Institute of Health and a member of the working group on drawing out the bill, said that the heavy fines set for the offenders is not against the smokers, but rather aims at protecting people from the harmful effects of the second-hand smoke.

The anti-smoking measure also aims to prevent the diseases, disability and premature death caused by tobacco product use or second-hand smoke. 

The law is expected to take effect from 1 November 2018.