Citizens of Ufa come out for anti-tobacco law

Action in support of anti-smoking law, initiated by the public movement “Sober Bashkortostan”, has taken place in Ufa on the Lenin Square today, November 12. Similar actions are held in some other Russian towns.

Participants of the action came out with the slogans “Tobacco is a legal drug”, “Tobacco industry is not a development but genocide”.

“The initiative of the action comes from Moscow and the action itself can be called all-Russian” – an activist of the movement “Sober Bashkortostan” Artem Smychkin says – “13 Russian cities have taken part in it and the aim is to support the anti-tobacco law, directed to health improvement of our population and to reduction of tobacco consumption in Russia. We want to show that population supports this initiative of Russian Government and the future of the country isn’t indifferent for active public community”.

For the reference: the bill “Protection of population from smoking after-effects” is directed to protection of non-smoking citizens and presumes introduction of step-by-step restrictive measures. In case of the bill passing, more than 15 categories of public places can become free from smoking: institutions of education and culture, hospitals and sanatoriums, bus stops and railway stations, trains and airplanes, beaches, hotels, playgrounds, offices and entrances.

The State Duma intends to consider the bill in the first reading in December 2012 and it is expected that complete ban on smoking in public places will be introduced beginning from January 1, 2015.