Smoking in North Macedonia
Efforts to control smoking in Macedonia are enforced through several regulatory measures. There is a complete ban on all forms of tobacco advertising. The sale and use of cigarettes are allowed including online purchase. However, purchasing through vending machines is prohibited. Import of cigarettes is allowed with a license. Moreover, health warnings on packaging are mandatory, and the minimum legal age for purchasing or selling cigarettes is 18 years. Also, there are legal restrictions on smoking in public places and the total taxation rate of 76.99%, with a specific excise tax component of 52.73% is applied to cigarettes. Despite these control measures, smoking remains a major public health issue in Macedonia. The country reported an estimated 589,000 current adult smokers in 2024, representing an adult smoking prevalence of 39.9%. The adult smoking prevalence was notably higher among males (43.4%) compared to females (36.7%). In 2021, the annual number of deaths attributable to smoking was 4,100 including 2,800 deaths among males, and 1,300 deaths among females. Mortality due to smoking was reported to consist 12.66% of all deaths in Macedonia. These deaths were 15.9% among males and 8.75% among females.
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March 31, 2026 by seenews.com
North Macedonia revokes six more medicinal cannabis licences
North Macedonia is intensifying oversight of its medical cannabis sector after uncovering widespread irregularities among licensed producers. Authorities have revoked additional licences from several companies following inspections that identified legal and operational breaches. The move follows earlier enforcement actions and large-scale seizures of cannabis allegedly diverted from legal production into illicit markets. Officials have announced broader inspections across the entire industry, signalling concerns about systemic weaknesses in regulatory control. The developments highlight growing pressure to tighten governance and ensure transparency in a rapidly expanding medical cannabis market.