Important tobacco control policy decisions by Kyrgyzstan

In the end of the last year, Kyrgyzstan took two important decisions to substantially strengthen its tobacco control policy as part of the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). On the very last day of December 2014,  the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan approved the Law on increasing taxes, including taxes on tobacco products. Tobacco taxes for different types of tobacco will increase as of 2015 and are expected to increase to the level of  tobacco taxes in the neighbouring Kazakhstan. As of 2014, tobacco taxes in Kyrgyzstan are 2,5 to 12 times lower than in Kazakhstan.

On the 22nd of December 2014, Kyrgyzstan adopted a new Governmental regulation mandating pictorial health warnings on tobacco products. Pictorial health warnings (shown below) are obligatory from January 2016. This decision is in line with the art. 11 of the national tobacco control law from 2006 as well as with the art. 11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco  Control.

Kyrgyzstan ratified the WHO FCTC in 2006.