Anti-smoking campaign underway in Macedonia

16/04/2008

A complete ban on smoking in public places will begin, and manufacturers must print photos of smokers' diseased organs on cigarette packs.

By Zoran Nikolovski for Southeast European Times in Skopje – 16/04/08

Macedonia is joining the worldwide anti-smoking campaign. [Getty Images]

The Macedonian government amended the Law on Tobacco and Tobacco Products and the Antismoking Law last month, launching an intensified nationwide campaign against smoking. Starting in mid-2009, cigarette packs will be required to depict photos of smokers' diseased organs.

Manufacturers will have three months after the amendments take effect to sell or withdraw older cigarette packs lacking the photos.

Such illustrative reminders of the medical consequences of smoking will differ, alternately depicting cancerous lungs, blocked arteries or decayed teeth. The goal is to encourage smokers to give up the habit. A health ministry commission composed of experts on smoking-related illnesses is responsible for selecting the photographs. Macedonia will be the first country in the region to introduce such a campaign.

The tobacco industry in Macedonia is angry about the changes. Manufacturers say they already spend enormous amounts to print the required written warnings and complain of the significant new expense they will incur in redesigning cigarette packs to accommodate the photos. They also object to the rapid onset of the deadlines.

The government, in addition, amended the Antismoking Law to outlaw lighting up on all public premises, including those that were not covered by the 2006 law. The ban comes after the previous policy of setting aside separate tables for smokers in restaurants and other establishments proved ineffective at improving air quality for nonsmokers.

Currently, almost every restaurant or bar in Macedonia has designated smokers' and nonsmokers' tables. However, the smoke-filled atmosphere generally is unchanged since the tables are most often next to one another rather than being placed in separate rooms. Under the new rules, smoking rooms cannot exceed 50% of an establishment's area. Businesses found in violation face stiff fines of up to 4,500 euros.

Studies show that one-third of the Macedonian population smokes a pack a day. And up to 8% of those smokers are aged 13 to 15. Only 5% of smokers plan to give up the habit.