Tobacco Firms Fume over Russia's Smoking Ban

Source from:  Telegraph.co.uk 10/17/2012

The Ministry of Health in Russia has developed a draft anti-tobacco law that proposes a total ban on smoking in public places. The battle between the tobacco lobby and anti-smoking campaigners is set to intensify when the Ministry of Health's draft anti-smoking law is submitted to the State Duma in the autumn. It has been 11 years since the Russianauthorities passed a law restricting smoking in public areas. Four years ago, Russia ratified the anti-tobacco convention of the World Health Organisation, and two years later Vladimir Putin signed the Governmental Concept for Restriction of Tobacco Consumption. According to the head of the international Confederation of Consumer Societies and anti-tobacco campaigner Dmitry Yanin, Russia has one of the highest rates of smokers in the world: around 60pc of Russian men and 22pc of women smoke. "Russia is the second largest tobacco market after China even despite the huge difference in their populations", Mr Yanin says. "So it's no wonder that manufacturers so forcefully attack the new draft bill." The bill was initially drawn up for consultation last year. It was submitted to the newly formed Ministry of Health in May this year, but objections to it were raised by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture. They argued that strict bans would adversely affect tobacco manufacturers. Philip Morris, British American Tobacco and others expressed concern for small-scale retail outlets (of which there are about a million) which could be banned from selling tobacco by the law. Supporters of a tobaccoban, such as the vice-president of Business Russia, Alexander Osipov, disagree with the lobbyists. "All in all, Russian business will only benefit from these bans", he says. "An average smoker takes a total of about a month's worth of smoke-breaks a year. And, before succumbing to ill health, smokers take a lot of sick leave". Restricting smoking before banning it is a global trend, say anti-smoking supporters, who point to the example of Switzerland, which has just put the issue of a total ban on smoking in public places to a referendum. The head of the Ministry of Health, Veronika Skvortsova, maintains that the measures will once again be submitted for consideration by the government on October 17 and, if successful, will be submitted to the State Duma. Q&A – Do you feel that your rights to smoke are impaired? Sergei Chikonkin, chauffeur, smokes two packs a day: If they discriminate against smokers heavily, there is going to be an upheaval. I will go to the streets to protest if I have to. Sergei Kozyrenov, courier, smokes one and a half packs a day: I don't feel any significant impairment of my rights – people smoke everywhere. I'd actually like the rights of smokers to be more limited. The only problem is that cigarettes get more expensive. I'd be glad to give it up, but I can't because my work is very stressful. Tatyana Starostina, translator/teacher, smokes one to one and a half packs a day: I do feel that my rights are impaired because of restrictions on smoking in public places, for example in cafés. Valery Shkinin, pensioner, smokes one cigarette a day: In Russia you can smoke anywhere and disregard everyone. It's a bad thing. I canunderstand why non-smokers get angry. I don't smoke in public areas. But the state cannot regulate the relations between smokers and non-smokers; it is a matter of personal culture. If your smoke troubles someone, just move aside. Enditem