Parliament places restriction on smoking in public places

By signing the Tobacco Bill into law on Friday, December 14, the Parliament placed restrictions on smoking in certain public places. Under the law, smoking is forbidden in public markets, underground walkways, playgrounds, omnibus stops. Smoking is also forbidden during public entertainment events. At the same time, the Parliament rejected the proposal of Valentina Buliga of the Democratic Party to ban smoking among underage persons and pregnant women as well as smoking near them. Buliga argued that a ban on smoking in the street would also be welcome. Another provision prohibits visible tobacco advertising like billboards on the buildings of producers or distributors of such products. The law also sets forth new rules for selling tobacco products on Moldova’s market. Thus, starting 1 January 2008, for filtered cigarettes, the maximum admitted amount of tar is 15 mg/cigarette, nicotine – 1.2 mg/cigarette and carbon monoxide – 16 mg/ cigarette. For unfiltered cigarettes the requirements are the following: 18 mg/ cigarette – tar, 1.3 mg – nicotine and 20 mg – carbon monoxide. In addition, the law introduces new packaging marking requirements. Each cigarette pack, among basic information must contain general and additional warnings about the health effects of smoking. The general warning must read one of the following: “Smoking kills” or “Smoking is harmful to you and the people near you”. The warning shall cover at least 30% of the side it is printed on.