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The federal law bans retail sale of tobacco products to people under 18. It also forbids smoking in the workplace, on city, commuter and air transport (if the flight duration is less than three hours), in covered sporting facilities, health and cultural organisations, and the premises of government bodies except in specially designated areas.

The law envisages an improvement of the quality of tobacco products by licensing production and wholesale trade as well as cutting the tar and nicotine content in cigarettes.

After the law comes into effect government bodies will be obliged to “regularly seek to increase awareness of the harm caused by tobacco” through the media. There should be no images of smoking in “newly created TV programs, films and plays unless such actions are an inalienable part of the artistic message,” nor should “public and political figures be seen smoking in the media.”

The federal law provides for the development of a government program to limit tobacco smoking, increase awareness of the harm caused by smoking and the development of corresponding educational programmes.