Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada could ban all types of advertising of tobacco in Ukraine under a new law now undergoing initial scrutiny.
A bill on amendments to some laws concerning a ban of advertising, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco sales was passed by 303 MPs at first reading at a plenary meeting on Tuesday.
The bill also suggests that the advertising of trademarks of goods and services and other objects of intellectual property rights under which tobacco is produced be prohibited.
The sponsorship of television and radio programs, performances and concerts, sports and other events with the use of trademarks for goods and services and other objects of intellectual property rights under which tobacco is produced will also be banned. Tobacco advertising is not banned if placed in specialized publications or at specialized trade shows.
The bill also stipulates that the layout of any advertising should not contain images of tobacco or depict the process of smoking.
The document is aimed at streamlining the Laws on Advertising, on Measures aimed at Preventing and Reducing the Consumption of Tobacco and its Harmful Impact on the Public’s Health and Ukraine’s Code on Administrative Offices in line with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which was ratified by Ukraine’s parliament on March 15, 2006.
