ANKARA, Nov 26 (AFP) - Turkey has become the 38th country to ratify a World Health Organisation (WHO) framework convention aimed at restricting the sale and advertising of tobacco, the Anatolia news agency said on Friday.
Adopted in 2003 by 192 WHO member countries, the convention will come into force three months after being ratified by 40 countries, the agency said, after the ratification late on Thursday by the Turkish parliament.
The framework convention provides for measures, including increased taxes, on cigarettes in order to reduce demand for tobacco. It also calls for laws banning smoking in public places and inside the workplace.
It lays down rules for labelling tobacco products, in a bid to prevent fallacious or deceptive descriptions such as "low tar content".
It further points to the need to raise public awareness of the risks of tobacco, and provides for a total ban on all tobacco advertising and advertising via sponsorship.
Turkey, which is at the same time a big consumer and producer of tobacco, has over the past few years launched awareness campaigns in a bid to deter people from smoking.
Although a ban on smoking has been imposed in public places, it is still commonplace in administrative buildings. There are no rules banning smoking in bars and restaurants.
11/26/2004 09:25 GMT - AFP