YEREVAN. – Armenia marks National No Tobacco Day on Saturday, October 12.

To note, on October 12, 2004, Armenia joined the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). 

And in 2008, the Government of Armenia adopted a decision to mark October 12 as National No Tobacco Day. 

The ratification of the FCTC greatly promoted the development of a new legislation in connection with tobacco control. 

Accordingly, several laws and normative acts were adopted, guidelines were developed, and reports were presented in Armenia toward the implementation of the FCTC, whose launch was quite successful in the country.    

It should be noted, however, that this is solely the beginning of a difficult process because the tobacco industry is very powerful in Armenia.