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Second part of anti-tobacco law comes in force in Russia

Smoking is banned at public eateries, hostels, hotels, railway platforms, airports as well as on trains and vessels

MOSCOW, June 01, /ITAR-TASS/. The second part of Russia’s anti-tobacco law has come in force in the territory of Russia. As of June 1, smoking is banned at public eateries, hostels, hotels, railway platforms, airports as well as on trains and vessels.

Ash-trays and hookas are expected to disappear from restaurants, cafes and bars. Special no-smoking signs are to appear instead.

Visitors who will be caught smoking in a caf· will have to pay a fine worth from 500 to 1,500 roubles. Penalties will also be imposed on restaurant owners, including 30,000-40,000 roubles for individuals and 50,000-90,000 roubles for legal entities, respectively.

The law is also applied to advertising.

“In fact, we are only starting to live according to civilized anti-tobacco laws which work in many other countries. But we already have the first results. Sociological surveys show that for the first time in post-Soviet years Russia’s tobacco consumption has been on the decline,” Russian State Duma deputy Vyacheslav Timchenko said.

Marina Shevyryova, director of the health and sanitary-epidemiological department of the Russian Health Ministry, noted the mortality from cardio-vascular diseases had decreased since the anti-tobacco law was introduced in Russia.

“I believe we will be able to reduced the number patients hospitalized with heart attacks, blood strokes and asthmatic attacks,” Shevyryova went on to say.

According to the State Duma deputies, attempts are being made to soften the anti-tobacco bill. “Under no circumstances are we going to support measures aimed at loosening the law,” Nikolai Gerasimenko, the deputy head of the Russian State Duma Committee for Public Health, said.

According to Gerasimenko, the introduction of the anti-tobacco law significantly reduced cigarette sales in the first quarter of 2014 by 16 billion packs.

“About 30,000 penalties for the violation of anti-tobacco laws have been imposed in Moscow since November 15, 2013. The figure for Russia is about 100,000 penalties,” Gerasimenko stressed.

The first part of law on the protection of citizens’ health from the impact of tobacco smoke came in force on June 1, 2013. Smoking was outlawed in educational establishments, cultural and sport facilities, beaches, stadiums and children’s playgrounds. Smoking was also forbidden in office buildings, which did not have any special rooms equipped for smoking; on board of planes, in the metro and at all types of public transport. Smoking outside railway, port and airport buildings was also classified as violation of the anti-tobacco law.

The second part of the anti-tobacco law totally bans tobacco advertising.