MOSCOW, October 16 (Itar-Tass) — The Russian government will consider before the end of October a bill of the Health Ministry that envisages a ban on smoking in public places, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in his video blog.
According to the prime minister, the ministry’s document envisages a full ban on smoking in public places. “Restaurants, cafes, bars will be imposing it stage-by-stage, as this has been done in other countries of the world by the way,” he said.
“The document also binds over to make all buildings housing bodies of state power non-smoking areas, and to sizably reduce the number of points of sale. It bans open tobacco advertising in shops to keep these products away from children,” the prime minister noted.
At the same time he believes that apart from a ban on smoking in public places and sales of cigarettes at every corner, “tobacco advertising must be fully banned and taxes for tobacco companies must be sizably increased”.
“By the way, higher excises on cigarettes will give a possibility to get additional money for the budget of healthcare, as well as for aid programs for those who want to give up smoking and for social advertising of a healthy lifestyle,” he said in the video blog.
The government currently repeatedly looks into the anti-tobacco bill. The document envisages a full ban on smoking in premises and transport, even in special rooms, a ban on sponsorship for tobacco companies, as well as higher cigarette prices. The bill is to be submitted to the State Duma lower house of parliament in spring.