Tobacco use is one of the most important public health problems in the world. Tobacco use is one of the causes of death. The Public Defender’s Parliamentary Report 2015 reviews the problems of tobacco control in Georgia.

On May 15, 2006, Georgia enacted the World Health Organization Framework Convention on TobaccoControl, which recognizes that the tobacco epidemic is a global problem which brings serious harm to public health and requires the widest possible international cooperation and involvement of every country to carry out effective and comprehensive response measures at the international level. Georgia undertook responsibility to carry out comprehensive tobacco control measures in the country by ratifying the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Thus, the Government confirmed its position that tobacco control is one of the priorities of the country. A governmental commission was set up in order to promote development and implementation of tobacco control activities in Georgia. The Government defined specific obligations to improve the tobacco control legislation and to harmonize it with the Framework Convention.

It should be noted that to date only a very small part of the commitments has been fulfilled. It is important to improve the current legislation and to bring it in compliance with the commitments which ban tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion. Smoking should be completely banned in all closed public areas and public transports in order to ensure smoke-free environment. The inaction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with regard to daily facts of neglect of the restrictions imposed on tobacco trade is conspicuous. In 2015, Tbilisi City Court imposed an administrative penalty only on one person for selling tobacco product to a minor.

The fact that tobacco taxes were increased four times in 2014 for reduction of the availability of tobacco can be considered as a step forward, though only definition of tax policy cannot be considered as effective fulfillment of obligations by the state in this direction.

It is important the Government to recognize human health and protection of life as priorities during pursuing tobacco control policy. In addition, the Government must ensure every person's right to enjoy smoke-free air and to be protected from harmful effects of passive smoking. The state must also take efforts to reinforce annual reduction of tobacco use in all sectors of the society.

The Public Defender of Georgia recommends the Government to effectively control fulfillment of the existing regulations of the tobacco legislation and to eradicate gaps in this field.