Big news for Russian smokers – and those who have to deal with them on a daily basis. As of June 1, Russia is mostly smoke-free, as it’s quite difficult to find a public place now where smoking would be allowed. New anti-smoking restrictions apply to all forms of tobacco advertising and smoking in restaurants, cafes and hotels, as well as on trains and watercraft. The first part of the ban, which went into effect in June 2013, has already borne its fruit: within a year the number of cigarette smokers decreased by 12 percent, the state statistics agency Rosstat reported. Read the article describing the full array of anti-smoking measures. So, do you think it'll help battle the smoking issue?
Not surprisingly, a lot of readers feel strongly about the issue, and they shared their experiences with anti-smoking measures. For example, one commentator going by the name "I.K." wrote: "A pack of cigarettes in the UK costs almost £8! But I agree with this. It's horrible when people smoke indoors. In Moscow they smoke everywhere, restaurants, bars, offices. Even for a smoker it's too much. No fresh air anywhere. This will of course reduce amount of smoking as it did in the UK and it's good."
Patrick Munneke has a different opinion. "What happened to freedom?" he asks.
Mark Cochran wrote:
"I live in the USA, and we can still smoke in most places here - although the cost of cigarettes has went up about 4 times the price that they were just 15 years ago. Anyway, I hope that I die before smoking is TOTALLY banned, because I do not want to live in a world that is so controlling that they ban smoking… BTW, they are lying about smoking hurting people - it does not - but rather it's just the politically correct thing to do and THAT is why they are doing it ..... It's a LIBERAL AGENDA thing, and that's ALL that it is." This comment generated a lot responses.
Guilherme Perrone retorted: "Smoking is amazingly annoying for people who don't smoke. It's a real pain when there is someone smoking by your side in a restaurant. Your rights end where other people’s rights start."
Gabriella Morse asks: "Lying about smoking hurting? Have you ever seen someone die of lung cancer? And in my state, its banned in places."
Giulia Grimaldi: "Should there be a law against smoke inside homes near to non-smokers. There are parents very ignorant who smoke near to babies. It is a crime!"
