Parliamentary Commission on Economy, Budget and Finance gave a positive opinion on the draft amendments to the Law on Tobacco Control.
The legislative initiative considered by the Commission provides for the expansion of the scope of the Law on Tobacco Control, namely the extension of some of its requirements to devices for heating tobacco, the abolition of a number of exceptions to the rules for labeling tobacco products and a decrease in the permissible level of nicotine in electronic cigarettes from 72 mg to 20 mg per 1 ml. One of the authors of the bill, Radu Marian, noted that the amendments provide for a return to the previously introduced norms in the Law on Tobacco Control (in 2015 and 2019), which were subsequently canceled, without public consultations, expert opinions and other specialized institutions. The project is intended to limit the access of minors to alternative tobacco products, to abolish some exceptions in the legislation that contribute to the growth of illegal trade and smuggling of tobacco products, to help reduce the consumption of tobacco, similar products, heating devices and other products. The explanatory note to the project refers to a study carried out in Moldova, which revealed that 16.3% of children aged 13-15 are active smokers. At the same time, about 10% of adolescents use other types of tobacco products than ordinary cigarettes: 12.7% of adolescents indicated that they prefer electronic cigarettes, and 3.9% use tobacco heating systems. During the discussions, the representative of the "Bloc of Communists and Socialists" faction, MP Oleg Reidman noted that there is no common position in international institutions on how new products relate to the regulation of the Law on Tobacco Control. He proposed to hold broader consultations on this issue with the participation of experts. As a result, the commission gave a positive opinion on the bill; it must be approved by the relevant parliamentary commission - in the field of social protection, health care and family. Let us recall that, according to the project, Moldova may unify some requirements for the placement on the market of tobacco products, similar products and devices and accessories for their use, refueling or heating. In particular, heating devices will not be able to be laid out on public shopping areas, but they can be purchased according to the list of products provided by the seller at the request of adult buyers. The sale of such products, as well as the sale of tobacco products and similar products, will only be permitted to persons over 18 years of age. Failure to comply with this requirement will be subject to fines provided for in the Code of Contraventions for violation of legislation on control over the placing on the market and consumption of tobacco products. Importers and manufacturers of such products may be required to provide information on ingredients and toxicological data to the National Public Health Center. At the same time, it is proposed to prohibit the sale of smokeless tobacco products other than oral, chewing and snuff tobacco, which is now permitted on the Internet. Another amendment stipulates that the market will be allowed to place e-cigarettes and reserve vials with nicotine content in liquid of no more than 20 mg per 1 ml, as required by EU Directive 2014/40. If adopted, the bill will take effect six months after publication. // 08.09.2021 – InfoMarket
