No Smoking Day: Number of Smokers among Men down in Armenia

Source from:  ArmeniaNow.com 10/13/2015

The number of smokers in Armenia has reduced among men compared to the situation 10 years ago. A local healthcare expert says it is due to increased risk awareness, as well as several barriers put in place legislatively.

Studies are conducted regularly in Armenia with the aim to determine the prevalence of tobacco use. A similar study is expected this year, the results of which will be announced early 2016.

"At the moment, the statistics is that 50 percent of men over 16 are smokers; that is every second man. It makes up approximately 3-4 percent among women, but there is a difference between residents of Yerevan and the provinces. The analysis shows that in Yerevan the number of smoking women makes about 6-7 percent," Alexander Bazarchyan, the head of the National Institute of Health of the Ministry of Health of Armenia, told media.

There are five main directions for the fight against smoking: informing, advertising bans, restricting smoking in public places, taxation policy, by which the prices of cigarettes are raised, and medical assistance to smokers. According to Bazarchyan, steps have been taken in all five directions.

"For example, according to the survey carried out by the National Statistical Service in 1999, approximately 64-65 percent of men were smokers, female smokers made up one percent in the same period," he said.

Different countries have their own national no-smoking day. The "No-Smoking" National Day in Armenia is marked on October 12.

"On October 12, 2004, the National Assembly of Armenia ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. That was an international document, which had to be ratified by the National Assembly and had to be signed by the president to enter into force. Later NGOs appealed to the government of Armenia to mark this day as the National Day without Tobacco. Such days are marked in many countries, there is an international day without cigarettes, but many countries have national days," concluded the head of the National Institute of Health. Enditem