Yerevan /Mediamax/. The Government of Armenia has approved today the technical regulation of tobacco substitutes.

The reasoning of the decision says “currently the most innovative and nicotine-containing tobacco products, tobacco product substitutes on the market are not regulated, thus no mandatory requirements are set for their use.”

According to the decision, the display of tobacco substitutes in points of sale will also be banned in Armenia.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hailed the decision and asked whether the law on banning the display of tobacco and tobacco products in stores is being implemented from January 1.

Arthur Asoyan, the head of the Inspection Bodies’ Coordinating Office, noted that the process is carried out in full.

“There are almost no places where they are displayed or openly sold,” he said.

Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan noted the need of tax regulations for all the innovative substitutes.

“We tax ordinary tobacco products with excise tax, but when tools to replace tobacco with liquid and similar methods come forth, they appear to be in privileged conditions due to being lightly taxed. We are already working on a bill together with the Ministry of Economy and the State Revenue Committee, and we will soon submit a supplement to the tax offer,” the minister said.

The Prime Minister stressed that the only purpose of all these regulations is preservation of public health.

“It is very important for us to show political will and move forward in this way. It is important to note that we have equated both traditional tobacco and tobacco substitutes in the Republic of Armenia. It is also important that they are also in the proper tax field and taxed properly,” Pashinyan said.