Turkmenistan

COMMENTS: The Decree Banning Smoking in Public Places is a presidential decree that pre-dates the primary tobacco control law. It establishes an administrative sanction for violators of the smoking ban, and it is uncertain whether this penalty remains in effect.

COMMENTS: TDS 596-2002, Cigarettes - General Technical Specification governs tobacco product production, composition, and packaging and labeling.

COMMENTS: The Criminal Code (excerpts only) (as amended to December 1, 2019) defines which actions are violations of the criminal code, including smuggling illegal goods and manufacturing, acquisition, storage, transportation, and the shipment of Naswar.

COMMENTS: Change No. 2 to TDS 596-2002 amends the General Technical Specification governing tobacco product production, composition, and packaging and labeling. Change No. 2 provides the contents of the health warnings appearing on packaging and labeling of cigarettes.

COMMENTS: The Law on Protecting the Health of Citizens from the Effects of Tobacco Smoke and the Consequences of Tobacco Product Consumption is the primary law governing tobacco control in Turkmenistan. It regulates smoke free places; tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and tobacco packaging and labeling, among other things. The law has been amended several times, with many of these amendments uploaded separately below.

COMMENTS: The Code of Administrative Offenses (excerpts only) (as amended to December 1, 2019) defines which actions are administrative offenses, and establishes fines for violating various provisions of the law, including smoke free, packaging and labeling, and advertising and promotion.

COMMENTS: Change No. 2 to TDS 596-2002 amends the General Technical Specification governing tobacco product production, composition, and packaging and labeling. Change No. 3 contains the new requirements on health warnings under the 2013 tobacco control law. Its provisions entered into force on January 1, 2015. The graphic health warnings to be required on the packaging of smoked tobacco products will enter into force 12 months after the authorized agency approves the list of drawings, pictograms and/or photos on the harms of smoking. As of the date of this review, the authorized agencies have not yet released the new set of warnings.

COMMENTS: The Law Amending the Law on Protecting the Health of Citizens from the Effects of Tobacco Smoke and the Consequences of Tobacco Product Consumption makes several amendments, including expanding the list of places in/from which tobacco products cannot be sold.

COMMENTS: The Law on Changes and Additions to Some Legislative Acts of Turkmenistan includes amendments to the Law on Protecting the Health of Citizens from the Effects of Tobacco Smoke and the Consequences of Tobacco Product Consumption, primarily related to enforcement and supervisory authorities.

COMMENTS: The Law on Advertising includes a provision banning the advertising of goods and services that are not allowed to be manufactured or sold in Turkmenistan. This applies to e-cigarettes. The law also broadly prohibits tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: The English version of TDS 596-2020 contains excerpts of the original language law. This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

COMMENTS: This law amends the Law on Protecting the Health of Citizens from the Effects of Tobacco Smoke and the Consequences of Tobacco Product Consumption, among other laws, to increase the minimum legal sales age of tobacco products to 21 years of age.