15 May, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. 45 territories and enterprises have been declared smoke-free zones in the Vitebsk region, Anna Kudlyuk, head of the public health department of the Vitebsk Regional Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, told a BELTA correspondent. Among the smoke-free enterprises, the interlocutor named the Vitebsk Instrument-Making Plant, the retail companies "Vesta" and "Nika", and the Dubrovno Mobile Mechanized Column. In the territories of district centers, a ban on smoking has also been introduced in places of mass gatherings and in children's parks. For example, in Braslav, the city park, four public gardens, and two children's playgrounds have become smoke-free zones, while in Verkhnedvinsk, the city park and the central square have been designated as such. Similar territories exist in Glubokoye, Dokshitsy, and Lepel. According to Anna Kudlyuk, enterprises and organizations should more actively encourage their employees to quit smoking. So far, the most active position is taken by the enterprise "Vitebskoblgaz" and its regional branches, where collective agreements provide for material incentives for those who lead a healthy lifestyle. The interlocutor also recalled that, in accordance with the legislation, smoking is prohibited in healthcare, culture, education, and sports institutions, as well as at retail, consumer services, and public catering facilities. Smoking is also prohibited in the premises of state administration bodies, local executive and administrative bodies, and organizations. In this regard, sanitary services are monitoring compliance with these requirements. Since the beginning of the current year alone, they have sent six petitions to the heads of enterprises and organizations to bring violators to disciplinary action and have issued 10 orders. -0-

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