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On March 19, the RA NA President Ara Babloyan received the Representative of the Armenia of the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office Egor Zaitsev and the representatives of WHO Fenton Howell, Akaki Zoidze and Oxana Domenti, who visited Armenia to promote the implementation of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The goal of the WHO mission is to advocate and promote the adoption of the new tobacco control law and the FCTC implementation in Armenia.

The representatives of Ireland, Georgia and Moldova presented to the RA NA President the works done for fighting tobacco use, the reached experience and the tangible results.

The representative of Ireland Fenton Howell has noted that Ireland is one of the unique countries which in general, banned smoking though there have been many opponents and anti-arguments: today the country has reached successes in the public health. The law on Tobacco Control is applied with ninety-five per cent efficiency. In Fenton Howell’s word, due to the ban of smoking annually four hundred human lives are saved in his country.

The representative of Moldova Oxana Domenti has noted that his country together with 180 countries of the world has signed the Convention, but Moldova has been not only tobacco consumer, but also producer for many years. The Law on Tobacco Control passed a long and difficult path, as the anti-arguments also related to the sphere of economy, the fall of the volumes of production export. In Oxana Domenti’s word, finally Moldova has been resolute, and the parliament has reviewed a right and functioning law by which the smokers’ and non-smokers’ interests are protected now.

The representative of Georgia Akaki Zoidze has noted that the law will enter into force in his country from May of this year. Accounts, public surveys have been made, however, as everywhere, there have been many opponents, to whose opinion, the tobacco control and ban, first of all, can impede on tourist development. In Akaki Zoidze’s word, from September 1, the tobacco ads will be fully banned in Georgia.

Summing up the meeting, the RA NA President Ara Babloyan has presented to the guests his approaches, his views on the legislative regulations, noting that in the basis of the discussions, first of all, are laid preservation of human health and the issues of welfare. To the conviction of the head of the parliament, it is necessary to find the best solutions and studying the experience of different countries and the passed path, preserve and to improve the people’s health. The RA NA President also highlighted the issue of public awareness.