KHUJAND, June 29, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Since the beginning of the year, 167 people, including seven women, have been penalized in Khujand, the capital of Sughd province for smoking in public places, the source at the Khujand police department said.

According to him, they were fined a total of more than 6,000 somoni in accordance with Article 463 (3) of the country’s administrative code.

In Tajikistan, the tobacco-controlled legislation – The Law on Limited Use of Tobacco – came into effect on January 1, 2011.  Under this law, sale of tobacco and smoking in schools, hospitals, organizations and enterprises irrespective of forms of their property, airports, train stations, recreation areas, sports and culture facilities and in public transport is banned.  Additionally, sale of tobacco closer than 100 meters to kindergartens, schools, hospitals and other educational and healthcare institutions is banned.  The law also bans sale of tobacco to and by teenagers.

In late July 2010, President Emomali Rahmon suggested to limit sale and use tobacco goods in all governmental and non-governmental institutions.  Smokers now have to use special places.

Those who break the law will have to pay a fine from 5 to 15 indexes (where one index makes 35 somoni) for natural persons and from 3 to 300 indexes for legal entities.