Ashgabat: The president of Turkmenistan has ordered a "unprecedented" anti-smoking campaign, requiring the nation to completely ban tobacco use within two years.
The "uncompromising" fight against smoking, according to President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, will target "illegal importations of tobacco products and their sales, including shisha pipes and electronic cigarettes," according to state media.
He continued, "Our state will start a massive anti-tobacco movement of unprecedented size to aid in the growth of the tobacco-free nations of the world.
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In the former Soviet republic that has been governed by the Berdymukhamedov family with an iron fist for almost two decades, strict anti-smoking measures, including bans on advertising and smoking in public places, are already in place.
Cigarettes can only be purchased from state-run stores. The goal of Berdymukhamedov, who was given the presidency by his father Gurbanguly, a former dentist, last year, is for the nation to be tobacco-free by 2025.
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An estimated 20 young men were detained at its borders on Thursday for "smuggling tobacco, shisha, and electronic cigarette products," according to state television. One of them was caught on camera apologising in front of the public for smoking shisha at home and uploading a video to Instagram, which is prohibited in the closed country.
The head of Turkmenistan's customs service was "severely reprimanded," according to President Berdymukhamedov, for "poor execution of his functions."
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The nation is still ruled by Berdymukhamedov senior, also known as "Arkadag" (Hero Protector), despite his retirement.
He regularly entertains the country with his son while also having a city, a TV channel, a newspaper, and a football team named after him.