Smoking is Harmful Not Only to Health but Also to Armenia's Economy: Arsen Torosyan

Smoking is harmful not only to the health of each citizen but also to Armenia's economy. According to Armenpress, this was stated by Arsen Torosyan, a member of the 'Civil Contract' parliamentary faction, in the National Assembly.

“Research shows that we lose 4.2% of our GDP annually due to smoking, which amounts to 92,000 dram per individual. This is very important because our partners often ask questions related to the activities of economic operators. I do not oppose that this might cause damage to a specific sector of the economy and continue to do so, but if we look at it in the overall context, this is beneficial only to the Republic of Armenia, as it has been beneficial to all countries around the world,” noted Torosyan.

The MP emphasized the need to clearly state that the taxes paid by those engaged in the production of tobacco products have never and will never exceed the damage caused by the consumption of those products. “Let’s remember often that annually, 5,500 people die in the Republic of Armenia due to the use of tobacco products,” concluded Torosyan.