A bill has been passed by the Ethiopian government which restricts smoking in public places and also bans a category of alcohol advertisement especially in broadcast media.

The new law bans smoking within 100 meters of public and work places, health institutions and youth recreational centers.

Tobacco packaging must contain clearly visible health warnings to smokers, As well as drinks  with less than 10% alcohol content cannot be advertised via broadcast media, Billboards inclusive.

It also banned the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 21 which is the new legal age for purchase of alcohol in Ethiopia.

The latest law was approved after the Food, Medicine and Health Care Administration Control Authority (FMHACA) brought the matter to the attention of MPs.

Violators of the law will face a fine of 2,000 Ethiopian Biir ($92) or 2,500 Ethiopian Biir ($116) for those who send children under the age of 18 to buy cigarettes for them.

The Food and Drug’s Proclamation addresses related public health issues as Food Safety Administration, Tobacco Products Regulation, Alcohol Control and Medicine and Medical Device Administration.

The prevalence of smoking in Ethiopia is one of the lowest in the world—only 0.5% of Ethiopian women and 8.9% of Ethiopian men smoke any tobacco product, according to 2012 data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Despite the country having one of the lowest tobacco usage rates in the world, the ban of public smoking and alcohol have been looked into.

They are yet to face the smoking ban, but the authorities hope it will have been fully implemented in the capital within a year.