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State Duma for more discussion of bill to decrease tobacco use

The head of the committee also said that cigarettes advertizing should be drastically cut

MOSCOW, October 16 (Itar-Tass) —— The State Duma supports measures of the Russian government toward decreasing the use of tobacco but sees the need to discuss some norms of the bill to this effect that is to be referred to the lower house, Igor Rudensky of United Russia, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development, told reporters on Tuesday, commenting on the address of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in his video blog.

The MP confirmed that the government plans to refer to the State Duma before the end of October the bill on complete ban on smoking at children’s playgrounds, in schools and universities, in administrative buildings and, from 2015, in cafes and restaurants. It is also proposed to decrease the number of outlets for tobacco products sale and to prohibit tobacco products advertizing.

Rudensky made assurances that “the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, certainly, supports measures of the Russian government toward decreasing tobacco use.” The MP also suggests “to go beyond the measures the bill proposes and heighten responsibility for the breach of rules of tobacco products sale and to introduce criminal responsibility for the sale of tobacco to minors, just as for the sale of alcohol.” The head of the committee also said that cigarettes advertizing should be drastically cut.

“The measures proposed by the bill will make it possible to lower considerably the level of tobacco consumption, which will help improve the population’s health and increase the life span,” the MP holds.

“At the same time the committee believes that some norms of the bill need additional discussion with the public, specifically, the norm for the ban on cigarettes sale in kiosks. For instance, not every populated locality has the minimum required number of trade outlets of the needed area,” Rudensky said.