Russia to ban tobacco advertising

The government has approved a bill on Russia’s accession to World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

This means that Russia will have to impose a number of restrictions on tobacco producers over the next five years. The advertising of tobacco products, as well as sponsorship and sales promotion, will be banned altogether.

Tobacco product manufacturers will be obligated to place a warning about the risks of tobacco on cigarette packs that take up at least 30 percent of the pack. The warnings can include graphic images, such as the lungs or teeth of a smoker.

The convention gives its signatories three years to ban the misleading use of the terms “light” and “super light” on cigarette labels, which imply that such cigarettes are less harmful compared to other tobacco products. Tobacco companies will also have to provide information about the components of tobacco smoke.

For new signatories, the Convention enters into force 90 days after the deposit of the instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval, formal confirmation or accession.
According to the WHO European Regional Bureau, tobacco smoking leads to the premature deaths of up to 25 percent of people in Russia. So-called passive smoking is no less dangerous, increasing the risk of lung cancer by 34 percent and raising the risk of vascular diseases by 50 percent.

Up to 500,000 people die from tobacco-related diseases in Russia every year, but tobacco consumption is still on the rise, Echo of Moscow radio reported.

From 2000 to 2005, cigarette consumption in Russia increased by 30 percent, according to the Healthcare and Social Development Ministry. Gennady Onishchenko, the head of the consumer rights supervision agency Rospotrebnadzor, said earlier that 67 percent of Russia’s male population and 40 percent of female population were addicted to tobacco.

The Healthcare and Social Development Ministry welcomed the government’s decision to join the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

www.rbc.ru