The restriction of tobacco consumption in Georgia is regulated by the Law of Georgia on Tobacco Control, whose central emphasis lies on the areas where smoking is prohibited and on the obligations of establishments. This page describes precisely that consumption-control dimension — where smoking is banned, where it is permitted by way of exception, what an establishment must do to secure the ban, and how the cigar bar permit regime operates.
Basic principles of tobacco control
The criteria, requirements, conditions and rules in force in the sphere of tobacco control in Georgia rest on these principles: tobacco is recognized as a product harmful to health; nonsmokers have the right to protection from its harmful effects; the population must be informed about the harm, and information about tobacco products must be transparent.
The law is further grounded in promoting prevention of the cessation and the commencement of consumption, control over the production and sale of tobacco products, reduction of demand and accessibility, the ban on untaxed and impersonal sale, and recognition of non-smoking as a norm of life. Separate emphasis is placed on protecting state health policy from interference by persons engaged in the tobacco industry, and on the impossibility of escaping criminal or civil liability notwithstanding the industry's compliance with the norms in force. The law's tasks also connect to the principles of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.