Kazakhstan bans alcohol advertising

Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev has signed into law the bills on advertising and mass media, the press service of the Kazakhstani head of state reported.

According to the new law, advertising of alcohol products will be abolished completely in the republic as of January 1, 2004. Moreover, it is forbidden to interrupt broadcast of education and religious programs as well as programs for children by advertising. It is forbidden to advertise infant milks as well as goods and services that have not been certified in the country.

According to the new law, advertising must not occupy more than 15 percent of the airtime on TV and radio and it must be disseminated in the Kazakh and Russian languages. Tobacco advertising is allowed only in the printed mass media sources but not on the first and last pages of the printed mass media sources.