Tobacco.org

• Armenian Smoking Ban Widely Defied 

Armenia's first-ever restrictions on smoking in public places appear to be widely flouted by tobacco addicts more than one month after their much-publicized introduction.

A special law that banned smoking in hospitals, cultural and educational institutions and public transportation means went into force on March 2. It was touted as the first phase of a government drive to curb tobacco use in the country. But skeptics warned at the time that the measure will likely prove ineffectual because the authorities have not put in place any mechanisms, including fines, for enforcing them.

There is little evidence of compliance with the smoking ban at the institutions covered by the law. "It is clearly not working," said Mels Sahakian, a professor of economics at Yerevan State University. "There are still no special places set aside for smokers."

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