Article 17 of the Law on Tobacco Control, which envisions protection against exposure to tobacco smoke, takes effect on May 31. Answering an inquiry by IPN, the Ministry of Health said that smoking in all the closed and semi-closed public areas, including places for common use and workplaces, regardless of the type of ownership and way of access, is banned from May 31. Some 27% of the population smokes in Moldova. According to the European Health Report 2012, Moldova ranks fourth by the number of smokers, after Armenia, Belarus, and Ukraine.

Smoking will be banned in all the open public places managed by health facilities, education institutions, the central and local public authorities, including on the adjoining areas, and within 10 meters from the entrance to closed public places, including places for common use and workplaces, near opening windows and air/heating vents at places for common use and workplaces.

Smoking will also not be allowed in recreational areas and playgrounds, at stadiums and arenas, in markets and other open public places during public recreational or other kinds of events, under the roof of public transport stations, in public units of transport and in private cars where there are minors.

The non-observance of the legislation on the protection against exposure to tobacco smoke by business entities whose activity is authorized or licensed, established by the units of the State Public Health Surveillance Service, leads to the withdrawal of authorization.

According to the Ministry of Health, giving up smoking is one of the most difficult tasks in the life of a smoker given the physical dependence on nicotine and the numerous psychological obstacles that must be overcome. Most of the smokers make many attempts before they manage to get rid of this vice forever. In this connection, doctors recommend the therapy of replacing nicotine with bupropion, primarily used as an antidepressant and smoking cessation aid, taking part in anti-smoking programs and associations and permanently communicating with the doctor.

According to the World Health Organization, smoking is a daily habit of over 1.3 billion people worldwide, 84% of who are from developing countries. Over 6 million people die annually from smoking-related diseases. About 600,000 of these are passive smokers.