Russia Passes Smoking Ban

Both parliamentary houses approved the measure to ban smoking in public places.

February 22, 2013

MOSCOW - This week, Russia€™s lower and upper houses of parliament passed a smoking ban in public places, which President Vladimir Putin is expected to sign, the Washington Post reports. Currently 60% of Russian men smoke.

"Cigarettes are incredibly cheap," said Dmitri Yanin, chairman of the Conference of Consumer Protection Societies. "I think we can change consumer behavior eventually, but it won€™t be quick because the law doesn€™t include economic measures."

Cigarettes remain cheap in Russia, with a pack costing about $1, which includes around 30 cents in taxes. Russians buy approximately 20 billion cigarette packs annually, compared with Americans purchasing around 16 million packs each year. The tobacco industry was successful in killing a provision that would have let the government set a minimum price for cigarettes.

This is the first such smoking ban ever passed in Russia. The prohibition would take effect on January 1, 2015.

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