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Paying fine for smoking in public places

15 December 2015 14:34 (UTC+04:00)
Paying fine for smoking in public places

By Nigar Orujova

Smokers in Azerbaijan received another bad news this December, as the country, after banning import and production of some tobacco products, plans to introduce ban and penalty on smoking in public areas.

Many countries have already banned smoking in public places as it affects non smokers as well. This damages their health against their will and could cause them lung cancer.

Outdoor smoking ban is not something new for Azerbaijan, as smoking is prohibited in educational, recreational, health care facilities and halls, where sports competitions and public events are held. Smoking is also prohibited in workplace in office buildings, with the exception of personal offices, public catering places, residential buildings and other indoor public places, except the highest category restaurants, cafes and bars.

Now these bans will be accompanied by fees for fuming in non-smoking free area.

The issue has been reflected in the amendments to the Administrative Offences Code that will be soon discussed in the Parliament.

Smoking is being prohibited as it is decreed that smokers’ habits are setting a bad example to others, particular children. Also, active smokers can estimate the harm of tobacco on their health and decide whether to smoke or not, but those who are passive smokers had no choice here.

If approved, the amendments stipulate fines for smoking in the non-smoking area in the amount of 30 manats ($29) starting from 2016.

The project also provides penalties for lack of a sign or notice, which prohibits smoking in institutions, offices and organizations. The fine for officials for lack of signs will be 400 manats (about $381), and legal entities will have to pay 1,000 manats ($952).

The smoking ban is also applied in all forms of public transport. But, in public transport of long distance smoking is allowed in designated areas with a door that can be closed. The current law stipulates a penalty in the amount of 50 manats ($48) for violating the ban on smoking in public transport.

The new amendments will also increase the fine for smoking outside the designated smoking areas in rail transport. The fine for this violation will be 40 manats ($38) from May 2016.

Head of Azerbaijan’s Free Consumers Union, Eyyub Huseynov welcomes these amendments stressing that smoking is a ‘daily’ drug addiction that should be stopped.

Many countries apply fines to stop it, he said citing as example Australia and Singapore, where penalties for smoking in the non-smoking areas are higher.

“This may measurably decrease smoking. Cigarette includes about 400 chemical species, which is very dangerous. Such penalties are put into practice to eliminate this bad habit,” he said.

He further voiced regret that in most of the supermarkets cigarettes are on sale in plain sight, adding :“We are holding measures to reduce such facts.”

Huseynov believes that smoking should be allowed only in the special areas, which may help to fight against smoking.

Some experts argue that the price for cigarette should also be increased in Azerbaijan, as the prices of tobacco products in the country are the lowest in the CIS and one of the lowest in the world. This led to about 60 percent of men and up to 10 percent women smoke tobacco in the country.

The history of smoking bans goes back to the 16th century, as one of the world's earliest smoking bans was introduced in Mexica in 1575. Another was implemented in 1633 when the Ottoman Sultan Murad IV prohibited smoking in his empire and had smokers executed.

Today, the punishment for smocking is not so severe and hits the wallet only. The time will show whether the penalty reduce smoking habit or not, but smokers will now definitely think about people around, as now they will be fined for their vicious habit.

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Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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