Medvedev Declares War On Smoking

The St. Petersburg Times

Published: October 17, 2012 (Issue # 1731)

MOSCOW — Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday pledged to take a tough stand on smoking and tobacco as the government is set to consider an anti-smoking bill.

In a video address posted on his blog, Medvedev announced that the government was presently “at war against smoking.”

A bill drafted by the Health Ministry is set to be considered by the government before the end of the month and will contain significant steps to counter smoking in the country, including a ban on smoking in public places.

According to Medvedev, 44 million Russians are smokers, a figure corresponding to roughly one-third of the population.

The country is currently the second-largest market for tobacco in the world, surpassed only by China.

Medvedev stated that smoking had increased dramatically since the early 1990s, most notably among women and young people.

The country’s appetite for tobacco consumption carries a toll, Medvedev said, noting that that Russia loses almost 400,000 people annually from smoking-related ailments, a number comparable to the population of the city of Tver.

The bill envisions a ban on smoking in public places to be effective from Jan. 1, 2015, and would severely curtail the sale and advertising of tobacco.

In addition, Medvedev announced his intention of raising tax duties on tobacco to a “meaningful level” as to further discourage smokers.

Medvedev said 80 percent of citizens, including two-thirds of smokers, support his fight against smoking.