“Cigarettes are sold out of turn”. Such an announcement was placed at the cash desk of a supermarket in Chisinau. Contacted by IPN for a comment, Gennady Țurcanu, programs coordinator at the Center for Health Policies and Studies, said the business entity that placed the announcement indirectly advertises tobacco products, violating this way the legislation on tobacco and the rights of other consumers who stay in a line.
“This is a violation of the Law on Tobacco Control. The law does not provide concessions for selling cigarettes out of turn. This trading unit creates preferential conditions for a product. There are no regulations stipulating that some of the products can be sold in preferential conditions. Mothers with small children, persons with special needs can be served out of turn, not yet the persons who want to buy particular products,” explained Gennady Țurcanu.
According to the expert, the case should be reported to the National Public Health Agency as this is an indirect method of advertising tobacco products. “By this announcement, the seller urges consumers to purchases this type of products without staying in a line. The Agency should examine the case and impose fines for the promotion of tobacco products at trading places,” said Gennady Țurcanu.
In accordance with the Contravention Code , the placing and distribution of advertisements for tobacco products with the direct or indirect effect of stimulating sales and increasing consumption of tobacco products is punished with a fine of 4,200 to 4,500 lei imposed on private individuals and of 13,500 to 15,000 lei imposed on legal entities, with ban on carrying out particular activities for a period of six months to a year.
Asked by IPN to comment on this case, MP Dan Perciun, who heads the Parliament’s commission on social protection, health and family, said the placing of such announcements is a bad practice whose legality should be determined by the National Public Health Agency.
