Revised tobacco control law to protect citizens from tobacco smoke came into force in the end of 2014 in Latvia clearly establishing citizens’ rights to be protected from tobacco smoke. The aim of the law emphasizes the rights of non-smokers to live in an environment free from tobacco smoke over smokers’ rights to smoke. In addition to the earlier restrictions on smoking in public places, the new law prohibits smoking in any other public place, if someone objects. Following the law on Children Rights Protection stating that smoking in the presence of a child is regarded as a physical violence, the tobacco control law now clearly states that smoking in the presence of a child is prohibited. The revised law applies also to electronic smoking devices, containing nicotine or not.



The Ministry of Health believes that the new approach and the philosophy of the law will help to push forward even more stringent rules in the future to fulfill obligations of the WHO FCTC and its guidelines. For the first time Latvia has established in the law, that tobacco harms people and that there is a possibility for them to protect themselves from this harm.

