Skopje, 30 May 2026 (MIA) - Health Minister Azir Aliu said at Saturday’s final meeting with representatives of the tobacco industry and the hospitality sector, held in the government, that the consultation and institutional process for the draft Law on Protection Against Smoking is being concluded.

“This is not a law that is adopted hastily or without hearing stakeholders. On the contrary, it went through a broad, inclusive, detailed and well-argued process of coordination between state institutions, inspection and supervisory bodies, representatives of the tobacco industry, the hospitality sector, the expert public, and citizens through the National Electronic Register of Regulations (ENER) platform,” Aliu said.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski also attended the meeting.

Health Minister Azir Aliu said the need for a new law stems from the fact that the existing legislation dates back to 1995 and, although it has been amended nine times in the meantime, it no longer corresponds to today’s reality.

“Today we are no longer talking only about traditional cigarettes. We now have electronic cigarettes, as well as non-combustible tobacco products, which are new forms of nicotine and tobacco use that technology is constantly developing,” Aliu said.

According to him, the data are unequivocal and form the basis of the public health approach.

“Tobacco is linked to more than 3,600 deaths annually, or around 13% of all deaths in the country. The economic loss is estimated at Mden 38 billion, or over €600 million per year, which represents around 5.16% of GDP. Among young people aged 13 to 15, 13.6% use tobacco or nicotine products, the highest rate since 2002. Additionally, 73% of young smokers were not prevented from purchasing cigarettes due to their age. At the same time, 86.9% of young people support a ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces,” Aliu said.

“This further shows that this is a matter of public health, the protection of children, the protection of non-smokers, the protection of workers, and the creation of clear rules in public spaces,” Aliu added.

He stressed that the law does not ban the production, import, export, or sale of tobacco products, but regulates their use and promotion, as he said, in places where they affect the health of other people.

“The new law brings concrete and measurable benefits. It ensures clean air in enclosed public and workplace environments. It also covers new products, including electronic cigarettes and non-combustible tobacco products. It increases the protection of children by reducing normalization and exposure in schools, by protecting them in private vehicles when a child is present, as well as within 20 meters of entrances to healthcare, educational institutions, and childcare facilities. The law also closes the grey area regarding terraces. The previous law only stated that smoking was allowed on terraces without sufficient clear conditions. The new law introduces clear and enforceable criteria, such as requiring terraces to be open on at least two sides,” Aliu said.

He said the law increases child protection by reducing normalization and exposure in schools, by introducing protection in private vehicles when a child is present, and by extending protection within 20 meters of entrances to healthcare, educational institutions and childcare facilities. The law also closes the grey area regarding terraces. The previous law only stated that smoking was allowed on terraces, without clearly defined conditions. The new law introduces clear and enforceable criteria, such as requiring terraces to be open on at least two sides, Aliu said.

In terms of advertising, promotion and sponsorship, the minister said the law introduces a comprehensive ban covering online platforms, social media and influencer marketing - channels that did not exist when the previous law was adopted, but today have a strong influence, especially on young people.

“The law also establishes functional oversight. Instead of several bodies with unclear division of competences, the new text foresees 14 supervisory authorities with clearly defined responsibilities. This is important because the law must not only be well written, but also enforceable on the ground,” Aliu said.

Through the public consultation on the ENER platform, 58 comments from citizens, traders, associations and experts were reviewed.

“In the process, we also had significant expert support from the World Health Organization, particularly in the area of public health standards and the obligations arising from the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, for which I express sincere gratitude. We now have a text that is the result of a complex process of listening, argumentation and harmonization. This law protects those who are least able to protect themselves – children, workers and non-smokers. Today we are finalizing this phase of the procedure. The next step is consideration of the draft law at a government session, followed by parliamentary procedure in line with the rules,” Aliu said.

Photo: MIA