The Russian government is taking steps to address smoking by banning all tobacco advertising. Hundreds of thousands of people in Russia die each year from smoking-related illnesses; 60 percent of men and 30 percent of women smoke. Experts say the ban is just the first step in changing the habits of millions. Cigarettes in Russia are cheap and most restaurants are smoker-friendly and public places usually have a place to smoke. The number of Russian women who smoke has more than doubled since the collapse of the Soviet Union, according to new research.In 1992, seven per cent of women smoked, compared to almost 15 per cent by 2003. In the same period, the number of men who smoke has risen from 57 per cent to 63 per cent.
According to the country's Ministry of Health, it is estimated around half a million people die of smoking-related diseases annually. The Russian government is beginning to take action and has decided to completely ban all tobacco advertising. The government has approved a draft law on joining the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control where the ban must be implemented within five years.
Sergey Polyatykin from the 'No to Alcoholism and Drug Addiction' Fund says "Ads in a way are information in the form of pressure, as they make it easier for a person to start smoking. Banning tobacco ads is just the first step."
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