Mongolia to pass smoking ban
In nation where 48 per cent of men are regular smokers, parliament acts to tackle a growing health problem
It's Friday night at the Grand Khaan Irish Pub and the house band is covering an Eric Clapton song, the waitresses are delivering pints of beer to patrons and thick clouds of cigarette smoke are wafting into the rafters.
It's a familiar scene in the numerous pubs across this country, as many Mongolians fancy a drag on a cigarette while drinking beer or after a big meal. But it's also a scene due for change with Parliament's adoption last week of a strict anti-smoking law.
The new law bans smoking in all public areas, including bars, restaurants, office buildings, playgrounds, parks and apartment stairwells. It applies to common areas in hotels, too, although some hotel floors will still allow smoking.
"It's tough. I smoke. But I am trying to quit, maybe this will help me do it," said Grand Khaan patron Dale Choi, a smoker for more than 20 years.
Violators of the law will be slapped with an MNT50,000 fine. (HK$281). Businesses that allow smoking will be hit with an MNT3 million fine, while officials that permit smoking in their officials will receive a fine of MNT1 million. The law comes into effect on March 1.
Smoking habits in Mongolia are a growing problem, says Tsogzolmaa Bayandorj, a National Officer for non-communicable diseases at the World Health Organisation. According to WHO data collected in 2009, 48 per cent of Mongolian men and seven per cent of Mongolian women smoke regularly.
"The situation has grown worse over the past 20 years due to increased production and importation of cheap cigarettes, mainly from China and Russia," said Tsogzolmaa.