YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The law on making amendments and additions to the RA Law on Advertising took effect on October 1. According to it, the external advertising of tobacco products, eg on posters, statements, etc, is forbidden. However, Narine Movsisian, coordinator of the social alliance "Armenia without Cigarettes", said at the October 2 press conference that one can still see cigarette advertising posters in Yerevan. In her words, by joining the WHO frame convention on antismoking campaign, Armenia assumed an obligation to gradually introduce a comprehensive ban on cigarette advertising until 2010. Sociological surveys show the the majority of the country's population is in favor of imposing a ban on cigarette advertising. For example, the surveys conducted last year in Yerevan and Shirak and Syunik marzes indicate that about 73% of the population is is favor of banning the cigarette advertising in the mass media, and 66.8% support imposing a ban on the external cigarette advertising. N. Movsisian pointed out numerous violations of the provision of the RA Law on Restrictions on Sale, Consumption and Use of Tobacco Products, according to which smoking in health, educational, cultural establishments and public transport is forbidden, and smoking in all institutions and organizations is restricted. In this connection, it was noted that a body to control the application of this law should have been created by the Armenian prime minister's decision long ago. The speaker noted that their alliance applied to the Armenian government with a proposal to designate a national day of antismoking campaign.

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