Tobacco.org

RESEARCH AND PRACTICE / Prevalence of Smoking in 8 Countries of the Former Soviet Union: Results From the Living Conditions, Lifestyles and Health Study 

Conclusions. Smoking rates among men in these countries have been high for some time and remain among the highest in the world. Smoking rates among women have increased from previous years and appear to reflect transnational tobacco company activity.

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CARICATURE EXHIBITION "PAINTERS AGAINST SMOKING" OPENS IN YEREVAN 

Caricature exhibition "Painters against Smoking" opened in Yerevan. According to Administrative Director of American University of Armenia Anait Ordian, the goal of the exhibition is to promote healthy life style. The exhibition represents about 40 works of 12 painters. The organizers of the exhibition are Armenian Public Association of Caricaturists, Armenian Union of Public Health, Public Union "Armenia without Tobacco" and restaurant-club of AUA.

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• Armenian parliament tightens laws on smoking 

Armenia's parliament voted to tighten restrictions on smoking Friday, approving legislation that will hike fines and outlaw lighting up in schools, on public transport and in other public places.

The legislation passed by the National Assembly calls for fines of up to 100,000 drams (US$200) for violators and also bans smoking by teenagers under 16.

The legislation, which goes into effect in January, will also prohibit smoking in cultural institutions and at sporting events. Packs of cigarettes and other tobacco products that do not have medical warnings about the dangers of smoking on them will be destroyed.

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Armenia's Anti-Smoking Law: Puff or Progress? 

The World Health Organisation, WHO, estimates that 63.7 per cent of Armenian men are smokers, which makes them the heaviest puffers in Europe. While there are no reliable statistics for the smaller number of women smokers, their number is growing every year...

"It's a national disgrace," Grant Vardanian told IWPR. That's a surprising comment, coming from a business tycoon with a monopoly on Armenia's tobacco industry. "That's what I say, even me, and those are my advertising billboards hanging there! Until now, our legislators have failed to pass a law prohibiting cigarette advertisements in public places."

Nonetheless, it was Vardanian and a group of other businessmen directly involved in the production and distribution of cigarettes who earlier this year led opposition to an anti-smoking bill in parliament.

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Armenian Tobacco Magnate Backs Anti-Smoking Campaign 

The Armenian authorities' ongoing efforts to curb widespread smoking found on Wednesday an unlikely backer in the principal owner of the country's two biggest cigarette manufacturers.

Hrant Vartanian, a tobacco magnate with close government connections, lent his support to a bill that would ban smoking inside buildings belonging to the government and other public institutions.

"Some say, 'My grandfather is 90 and he always smoked'. But I will say a different thing: a cigarette user is sick for life," Vartanian told parliament hearings on the draft legislation tentatively approved by the National Assembly last week. . . .

The hearings attended by Vartanian were organized by the parliament committees on healthcare and social affairs that co-authored the anti-smoking bill. As well as outlawing smoking in public buildings, it toughens the existing ban on televised tobacco advertising which is widely flouted by local TV channels. Cigarette sales to individuals aged under 18 would also be deemed illegal.

The bill was passed in the first reading after being twice rejected by lawmakers, among them several wealthy cigarette importers, earlier this year. It is due to be debated in the second and final readings later this year.

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COMBATING SMOKING SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED GRADUALLY IN ARMENIA 

Combating smoking should be strengthened gradually in Armenia, according to RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan during the Parliamentary hearings devoted to anti-tobacco policy in the republic. According to him, the policy pursued in the republic, in particular approval of the law on limitation of sales and consumption of tobacco during the first reading, is very important for future generations. He expressed hope that till the end of 2004 the law will be adopted, which will limit smoking in the objects for healthcare, culture and education.

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SMOKING IS HARMFUL 

Armenian Alliance of Public Health had announced for journalist works on anti-tobacco topics. Today the organization has published the contest results. The journalists of "H2" and "Aravot" TV Companies, and "Hayastani Hanrapetutyun", "Respublika Armeniya" and "Golos Armenii" newspapers are the winners. . . .

It wasn't presented how much profit the tobacco-producers earn. No organization fighting against smoking produces economic motives to start a real anti-tobacco campaign.

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Armenian public health alliance underscores adoption of anti-smokinglaw 

ARMENPRESS: Reporters of several Armenian newspapers and one TV station, namely- Respublika Armenia, Aravot, Golos Armenii, The New Yerevan Times and H2 TV station were named as winners of a competition for a wide coverage of anti-smoking campaign, announced by the Armenian Public Health Alliance. Prizes were handed over to the winners today.

The Armenian Public Health Alliance has been a functioning organizationfor the second year now and has been implementing anti-smoking campaign for the last 9 months aiming to raise public awareness about the dangers of smoking.

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ARMENIAN PUBLIC HEALTH ALLIANCE SUMMARIZES RESULTS OF COMPETITION FOR ANTI-TOBACCO TOPIC AMONG JOURNALISTS 

Today Armenian Public Health Alliance summarized the results of competition for the best journalist publication of anti-tobacco topic. As Astghik Gevorgyan, the Chairman of Union of Journalists of Armenia told on press conference, Hripsime Jebejyan of Armenian Aravat daily was awarded for the best publication in journalist investigation for her article "Maximum Pleasure". Anahit Khaytyan ("Hayastani Hanrapetutyun" daily), Davit Petrosyan (Second Armenian TV Channel), Larisa Stepanyan (Russian language daily "Respublika Armenia" and Golos Armenii) also were awarded for active elucidation of anti-tobacco topic.

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• Armenia parliament turns down smoking control bill 

The Armenian parliament has turned down a draft law restricting smoking. The bill had suggested imposing of ban on sales of tobacco products to underage persons, as well as smoking at all health, culture, sports, educational facilities, at other public premises and at transport.

The author of the bill, Chairwoman of the Permanent Parliamentary Commission for issues of science and education, culture and youth Granush Akopyan said the number of smokers is steadily growing in the republic. . . .

Local observers are certain the bill has been voted down by influential parliamentarians engaged in the import of tobacco or lobbying the tobacco business.

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Armenia parliament turns down smoking control bill 

The Armenian parliament has turned down a draft law restricting smoking. The bill had suggested imposing of ban on sales of tobacco products to underage persons, as well as smoking at all health, culture, sports, educational facilities, at other public premises and at transport.

The author of the bill, Chairwoman of the Permanent Parliamentary Commission for issues of science and education, culture and youth Granush Akopyan said the number of smokers is steadily growing in the republic.

Armenian residents spend 25 million dollars a year for cigarettes and other tobacco products. The after-effects of this addiction are manifested in the growth of lung and cardio-vascular diseases and malignant tumors. The spread of the smoking habit among adolescents and young people, as well as women is especially disturbing.

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Armenian firm strikes deal with British American Tobacco [Source: BBC Monitoring Central Asia] 

International Masis Tabac (IMT), which is a member of the Grand Holding group of companies, has signed a contract with the world's second largest cigarette manufacturer British American Tobacco (BAT) on the purchase of Armenian tobacco, Grand Holding President Grant Vardanyan told a press conference today.

He said that a BAT delegation led by the vice-president of the company had visited the IMT and reached an agreement on purchasing some sorts of Armenian tobacco.

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BULLETIN ON HARM OF SMOKING TO BE ISSUED IN ARMENIA 

It is planned to issue a bulletin on harm of smoking in Armenia, said Hrayr Aslanyan, WHO officer for co-ordination and links with Armenia. He said that the bulletin would be launched in November 2002, twice a month and is expected to include articles on the harm of smoking, as well as other news covering the field. The bulletin is funded by WHO. Aslanyan said that it is the first time for 50 years of its activity that WHO leads development of world convention on the given problem.. Signatories to the convention will have to correspondingly change their legislation. By stressing the importance of the convention Aslanyan said that transnational tobacco companies are ready to impede or block any initiative aiming at people's health care and to even sponsor a surrogate science to convince the people that smoking is not harmful.

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JTI Presents Rejuvenated Camel Trademark in Yerevan 

Presentation of a rejuvenated Camel trademark of Japan Tobacco International took place in Yerevan. Representatives of the JTI company pointed out that the present strategy of the company is directed on preservation of the legendary brand and modernization of production processes.

At the presentation a new product of the JTI company was also shown Camel Lights cigarettes. In the words of JTI representatives, release of the new cigarettes is an answer to the stable growth of light cigarettes consumption in Armenia. According to the data of JTI, approximately 25% of Armenia's population prefer light cigarettes in 2002 against 10% in 2000.

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WHO Allocates $20,000 for National Program Against Tobacco 

The Armenian Health Care Ministry reports the number of smokers in Armenia has increased, especially among women and teenagers. About 60 percent of Armenian males, 36 percent of women and 35 percent of teenagers are smokers.

Alexander Bazarchian, the coordinator of the Health Care Ministry national program "Struggle Against Tobacco" said Armenia has joined the struggle "Europe Without Tobacco," adopted by 50 European countries. At present a national program of struggling against tobacco is being worked out, the advertisement and tax policy of tobacco is to be reviewed.

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