Oriented on making people closer

The Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan has accepted new rules of trade for tobacco products, co-ordinated with Ministry of Health and Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country.

According to the document, in wholesale and retail trade of tobacco products in the territory of Turkmenistan legal bodies under the authority of the Ministry of Trade can be engaged only. Sale of electronic cigarettes, and also cigarettes without filters is completely forbidden.

At retail tobacco production can be sold only in specialised departments and sections of food and not food shops in which special storage conditions of the goods of the given category are provided.

Production should be certificated. In realisation places it is necessary to specify in a prominent place that tobacco products are not subject to sale to persons younger 18 years. The seller is obliged to refuse sale of tobacco products to persons who in his opinion can be younger than the specified age, and to demand to show the passport or other document proving the identity of the buyer.

Tobacco products in shops should be hidden from eyes of buyers - it is possible to enumerate only their names by the list on a white background with black letters with an identical font. Sellers can give tobacco products for acquaintance only at the request of the buyer after it he familiarises with their list on the paper.

Tobacco production is forbidden to be sold in the territory of sports constructions, establishments of public health services, culture, public catering.

The interdiction also extends on railway, automobile and air stations, sea and river ports, hotels. It is impossible to sell tobacco in any shops which are located closer than 100 metres from any educational institutions.

Production of the given category is forbidden to realisation through the Internet and any other remote kinds of trade, and also automated trading devices.

According to the World Health Organization, Turkmenistan heads the list of the states of the world free from tobacco. As of 2019 only 3, 4 % of the population of the country used tobacco, and by 2025 the government plans to free the population of the country from this addiction completely.