May 31 is World No Tobacco Day

May 31 — World No Tobacco Day

Every year, May 31 is celebrated as World No Tobacco Day. On this day, both men and women around the world try to refrain from the harmful oral homosexual inclination to smoke (smoke) tobacco products.

A smoking ban in public places is one of the priority measures identified by the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which should help overcome the tobacco pandemic and reduce the harmful effects of tobacco smoking on the health of the population. The Convention has been signed by 172 countries, including Ukraine, and 31 of them have already introduced a smoking ban. Every year, 2-3 countries join this list. The first country in the world to introduce a complete ban on smoking in public places was Ireland – in 2004, the relevant law came into force there. Today, it is supported by 95% of the population.

The primary objective of laws restricting smoking in public places is to protect people from passive smoking. After all, according to the World Health Organization, inhaling second-hand tobacco smoke leads to 600,000 cases of premature death per year. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and 69 are carcinogenic. Moreover, second-hand tobacco smoke itself is classified by the WHO as a carcinogen. Among adults, inhaling second-hand tobacco smoke increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases by 25-30% and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. According to studies, the risk of lung cancer in people who work in heavily smoky rooms increases to 111% compared to those who work in normal conditions. Children exposed to passive smoking are 50-100% more likely to suffer from acute respiratory diseases. And among infants, inhalation of second-hand tobacco smoke can cause sudden death, and in pregnant women – the birth of children with low body weight and mental retardation. Read more about the harmful effects of smoking in ZNTU newspaper «Mechanical Engineer» No. 4 of September 21, 2016.

Thus, the smoking ban is a mandatory measure of state policy to improve the quality of life of the population. But is society itself ready for such changes? The Ministry of Health of Ukraine noted that today 35.9% of men and 7.0% of women remain daily smokers, and in total 7.2 million adult Ukrainians smoke daily. According to statistics, about 60% of Ukrainians are smokers, and therefore the issue of implementing this law and explaining its provisions is important for society.

Regarding the ban on smoking (smoking) in Ukraine

On September 22, 2005 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Law of Ukraine No. 2899-IV "On Measures to Prevent and Reduce the Use of Tobacco Products and Their Harmful Effects on the Health of the Population", which came into force on the day of publication, that is, on October 25, 2005. On December 16, 2012, amendments to this law came into force, which define a specific list of places where smoking tobacco products is prohibited.

Law No. 2899-IV establishes a ban on smoking tobacco products, as well as electronic cigarettes and hookahs in public and other places (Article 13), namely:

1. in elevators and payphones;
2. in the premises and on the territory of healthcare institutions;
3. in the premises and on the territory of educational institutions;
4. on playgrounds;
5. in the premises and on the territory of sports and physical education and health facilities and institutions of physical culture and sports;
6. in the entrances of residential buildings;
7. in underground passages;
8. in public transport used for passenger transportation;
9. in the premises of restaurant establishments;
10. in the premises of cultural facilities;
11. in the premises of state authorities and local self-government bodies, other state institutions;
12. at stationary stops of route vehicles.

In addition, the law prohibits smoking:

2. in the premises of enterprises, institutions and organizations of all forms of ownership;
3. in the premises of hotels and similar facilities for accommodating citizens;
4. in the premises of dormitories;
5. at airports and train stations.

It is important to note that the owner of the last places is obliged to notify other people about the ban on smoking cigarettes by placing a sign or graphic sign prohibiting smoking. For smokers, the owner, persons authorized by him or tenants of the relevant structures or individual premises are obliged to allocate a special place for smoking (by the way, the area of ​​​​such a place must be at least 10% of the total area of ​​​​the premises, and the place itself must be equipped with exhaust ventilation or other means for removing tobacco smoke) and notify visitors with a graphic sign: “Smoking area. Smoking is harmful to your health!».

At the same time, in addition to places directly prohibited for smoking tobacco products, the Law allows for the determination of other places prohibited for smoking such products by decision of the relevant village, settlement, city council (exclusive competence of the council).

The legislation also provides for liability for violation of legislation on the prohibition of smoking tobacco.

So, the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (CUaP), namely Article 175-1, provides that smoking tobacco productsin places where it is prohibited by law, as well as in other places determined by the decision of the relevant village, settlement, city council, – entails a warning or the imposition of a fine of three to ten non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens (i.e. from 51 to 170 hryvnias).

Repeated commission of a violation provided for in Part 1 of this Article within a year, for which a person has already been subject to administrative penalty, – entails the imposition of a fine of ten to twenty non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens (i.e. from 170 to 340 hryvnias).

The non-taxable minimum income of citizens is currently 17 hryvnias.

What should law-abiding citizens do when they discover a violation of the Law? What should you do when you see people who defecate not only at themselves and others, but also at others?

According to clause 1 of Article 255 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (persons who have the right to draw up protocols on administrative offenses), the authorized persons are actually police officers. And in case of violations committed in places prohibited by the decision of the relevant village, settlement, city council – authorized persons of the executive committees of village, settlement, city councils and members of public organizations. Police officers for smoking tobacco products in prohibited places have the right to detain a person for drawing up a report under Art. 175-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (smoking tobacco products in prohibited places).

Thus, the legal way – is to photograph the violators and contact the police, they will draw up a report under Article 175-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses and carry out all the procedures prescribed by law. You can also additionally contact the administration of the institution to eliminate this violation.

By the way, a bill has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, which provides for an increase in the amount of fines for smoking in prohibited places. The corresponding draft law of Ukraine No. 3788 of January 20, 2016 was introduced by a deputy from the «People’s Front» Hennadii Kryvosheya.

The document proposes to establish the size of fines for smoking tobacco products, electronic cigarettes and hookahs in places where it is

prohibited by law in the amount of six to 20 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens, with repeated violation – from 20 to 40 non-taxable minimums. In addition, the draft law proposes to establish a ban on smoking near entrances, entrances and exits from residential buildings, shopping centers, shopping malls, childcare facilities, shops, enterprises, institutions and houses of all forms of ownership within a radius of 20 meters.

November 16 — International No Tobacco Day

The statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO) are very sad. The tobacco epidemic in the 20th century claimed the lives of more than 100 million people. In the 21st century, this figure may increase by an order of magnitude. About 63% of all deaths on earth are due to non-communicable diseases. Tobacco smoking occupies a stable position as a leader in this terrible statistic.

Some people do not realize the full severity of the consequences of tobacco use for their health and the health of their children. And they do not think about the harm of passive smoking (that is, the impact of tobacco smoke on those around them) at all!!!

Meanwhile, according to research, every year, more than 600,000 people in the world die from passive smoking, including three people in Ukraine every two hours!!! According to statistics, 6 million people in the world die from diseases caused by smoking. That is, passive smoking takes the lives of 10% of them. These are WHO data. 10% – this is a fairly high figure, especially considering that these people, unlike smokers who consciously inhale tobacco smoke, are simply victims of circumstances.

Experts claim that even when a person does not smoke himself, but is forced to inhale «someone else» tobacco smoke, she is just as at risk of developing lung cancer, asthma, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and cataracts as a smoker.

People are most often exposed to smoke at home (children whose parents allow them to smoke at home are especially vulnerable), in public places, transport, at work and on the street in general.

Among passive smokers, 125 thousand respiratory diseases, 39 thousand cases of asthma, 21 thousand cases of lung cancer are registered annually. And in families where children smoke, the percentage of infant deaths, pneumonia, and asthma has significantly increased.

And although Ukraine has adopted a law prohibiting smoking in public places, it is not enforced due to the inaction of the national police. Therefore, everything depends on people’s consciousness. A smoker must understand that with his habit he shortens the lives of other people, which in this way expresses complete disrespect for the lives and health of other people. And parents who smoke in front of their children also set a negative example, instilling a loyal attitude towards smoking, that is, oral masturbation with a tobacco-containing phallus substitute, as something completely normal.