Ban on marketing cigarettes near schools, hospitals as constitutional

Chisinau, 8 April /MOLDPRES/- Magistrates of the Constitutional Court today decided that the ban on the marketing of tobacco products near educational establishments and medical institutions is constitutional.

The court examined today the petition filed by former MP Simion Grisciuc. He said that the current provisions do not ensure fair competition between traders because the law prohibits tobacco trade near schools and hospitals only in areas smaller than 20 m2 without affecting commercial units with a larger area.

The Court examined whether the contested measure complies with the state's constitutional obligation to ensure fair competition between traders, and noted that it was accessible and clear both in terms of commercial establishments covered by it and the method of calculating the distance 200 m which must exist between the business unit selling tobacco products and educational institutions and medical institutions.

The court rejected the complaint by Simion Grisciuc and recognized constitutionally the Article 25 of the Law on Tobacco Control. The decision is final, cannot be subject to any appeal, shall enter into force upon adoption and shall be published in the Official Journal of Moldova.