Russia Contemplating Anti-Tobacco Bill

Russia's Health Ministry and Social Development Ministry have jointly introduced an anti-tobacco bill which would see tobacco excise fees rise 470%, and would likely result in the minimum price for a packet of cigarettes jumping from 17 roubles to as much as 60 roubles.  The bill would also ban smoking in public places such as restaurants, night clubs, hotels and airports, and would also prohibit TV advertising of cigarettes.  In addition, the bill would limit the sale of cigarettes to larger stores (those exceeding 50 sq. meters) which would lead to major changes in tobacco retailing as 40-45% of cigarette sales are now made through smaller outlets.  While the intention of the bill is to restrict the number of Russians who smoke (and ultimately push them to quit smoking), experts say the bill could spur illegal tobacco business.   According to Sergey Smirnov, Director of the Institute for Social Policy at the New Economic School, "[t]he talk isn't just of illegal imports of cigarettes from China, but also of illegal micro plants appearing, with products non-compliant to any standards."

http://rt.com/business/news/russia-anti-tobacco-bill-456/