YEREVAN, JUNE 11, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Healthcare has made the final amendment to the bill on banning smoking in public indoor areas and submitted the draft law to government.

Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan told reporters today he hopes the bill will enter parliamentary debates during this summer.

“I hope the bill will enter parliament during summer. The final amendment was sent to the government few days ago,” he said.

Asked whether or not the bill has political endorsement, Torosyan – a staunch anti-smoking advocate - said it has “evidence-based” support which should be regarded higher than political expediency.

The bill provisions hefty fines for smoking in public indoor areas and seeks to reduce the tobacco-related negative impact in the population.

Torosyan is a strong supporter of anti-smoking laws and once said that tobacco is among the top causes of the “alarming” premature mortality figures in Armenia.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan