The press conference briefed mass media representatives on problems related to consumption of alcohol and tobacco products in the world and in Uzbekistan.

According to the World Health Organization, annually 2.5 million people die from diseases and injuries, related to consumption of alcohol products, of them 320,000 are persons at the age between 15 and 29.

Population of the European region enters to category of the countries, which consume alcohol products in large volume. The consumption of alcohol per capita in average exceeds twice compared to global figures.

In 2008, tobacco was reason for death of over 5 million people, and half of them were at the age of 35-69. This death toll is higher than death cases related to tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria all together. By 2030, the death toll from tobacco will exceed 8 million a year.

Law of Uzbekistan “On limiting spread and consumption of alcohol and tobacco products”, which was adopted on 5 October 2011, is main document of national legislation and effective measure on limiting consumption of alcohol and tobacco goods.

The document is directed at protecting health of citizens, first of all, those who does not reach 20, from harmful impact of consumption of alcohol and tobacco goods, social and other negative consequences, as well as creating organizational and legal conditions for forming and strengthening healthy life style among population.

The law determines state policy on limiting spread and consumption of alcohol and tobacco products, preventing their negative impact.

The document set authorities of the state bodies, citizens’ self-governing bodies, enterprises, establishments and organizations for implementing measures on limiting spread and consumption of alcohol and tobacco products, preventing their negative impact, forming negative perception to consumption of alcohol and tobacco goods.

The law determines that legal entities can produce and realize alcohol and tobacco products in Uzbekistan.

In order to limit access of youth to alcohol and tobacco products, it is forbidden to sell alcohol and tobacco products to person at the age below 20. It is also banned to realize these products near educational, sport and religious establishments. It is also banned to sell tobacco products apiece without package.

The law also sets that alcohol and tobacco products should have warning that is forbidden to sell these products to people under age of 20 and negative impact of alcohol and tobacco to health.

In order to inform consumers of alcohol and tobacco products on harmful impact of them to people health, packages of alcohol and tobacco should have medical warning in text and/or image.

The law bans consumption of alcohol in work places, streets, stadiums, public garden, parks, all types of public transport and other public places. This norm is not spread to trade and public catering objects, where allowed to sell alcohol products, and in places, which host wedding, jubilee, and other events.

The document also bans consumption of tobacco goods at work places, medical establishments, educational and sport establishments, fuelling stations, public places, except specially allocated places, and public transport.

Medical-sanitary aid to persons, who suffer from alcohol dependence, will be rendered at the medical aid at narcological dispensary or experts in narcology in hospitals.

Medical-sanitary aid to persons, who suffer from tobacco dependence, will be rendered at medical establishments.

Implementation of the law will help to cut sickness rate, death rate and disability of people, related with consumption of alcohol and tobacco goods, growth of GDP, speeding up social-economic development, etc.