Tobacco.org

Litzman mulls tougher methods to cut smoking rate  

As the smoking rate in Israel remains steady, Deputy Health Minister Ya'acov Litzman is considering new measures to significantly bring it down, he said Sunday, at his first World No-Smoking Day press conference.

His proposals include charging tobacco companies so that an independent body can disseminate anti-smoking advertisements and education; restricting or eliminating cigarette vending machines, increasing the cigarette tax by an additional NIS 2 per packet; prohibiting tobacco companies from sponsoring youth and sports events, and demanding regular reports from municipalities on how they are enforcing no-smoking laws.

Litzman - a confirmed tobacco opponent, unlike his predecessor, Yitzhak Ben-Yizri, who has smoked for more than 65 years - was not involved in the preparation of the eighth annual report, but as the person in control of the ministry, he was required by law to present it to the Knesset.

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