ŠERANIĆ: LAW ON PROTECTION OF HEALTH FROM SMOKING BY END OF THE YEAR

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 1 /SRNA/ – The Minister of Health and Social Protection of Republika Srpska Alen Šeranić told SRNA that the intention is for the law on the protection of the health of the population from tobacco and other smoking products to be adopted by the end of the year, emphasizing that all provisions regarding the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors will be applied immediately.

"I expect that by November we could prepare the proposal and submit it to the National Assembly of Republika Srpska," Šeranić stressed.

He said that the existing law from 2004 is outdated, and that it was necessary to regulate the presence of new smoking products on the market.

"The basis for the law was the global convention relating to tobacco, tobacco products, and other smoking products," said Šeranić.

He stated that data in Republika Srpska show that around 10 percent of minors have come into contact with smoking. "These are bad figures. I am talking about children aged 13 to 15," Šeranić said.

Šeranić said that surveys have shown that about 73 percent of citizens express support for the ban on smoking in closed public spaces.

"Everything that the law envisages generally has the support of about three-quarters of citizens. There is a smaller percentage of citizens who do not support certain measures, while a certain number are undecided," Šeranić says.