Today, the Parliamentary Committee on Health adopted the draft law on protection from the use of tobacco products or related products, in the first reading, and forwarded it to further procedure.
Deputy Minister of Health Jovica Andovski clarified that the law stems from the need to provide more comprehensive and effective health protection, especially for children and young people. There is, he added, the obligation to comply with European legislation.
– Smoking is the leading cause of mortality and chronic diseases in the Republic of Macedonia. According to data from the World Health Organization, over 45 percent of the adult population in the country smokes, which places the Republic of Macedonia among the countries with the highest smoking rate in Europe. Smoking is associated with more than a third of all cases of lung cancer and a significant part of cardiovascular diseases – the deputy minister pointed out, reported MIA.
Andovski indicated that among young people aged 13 to 15, the need for tobacco or nicotine products will reach 13.6 percent in 2024, which is the highest level ever. Electronic cigarettes rose to nine percent. Seventy-three percent of youth who tried to buy cigarettes were not turned away. He also spoke about the influence of other people’s smoke. He also referred to the improvements with the new legal solutions.
