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Health Minister: Russia Has Most Smokers in the World

06 October 2010 04:26 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Russiaâ€™s health minister says the country has more smokers than any other nation in the world, APA reports quoting voanews.com web-page.
Tatiana Golikova cited United Nations statistics Tuesday when she said about 40 percent of Russians smoke. She also said cigarettes kill about 400,000 Russians every year.
She pointed out that a pack of cigarettes in Russia costs slightly more than a loaf of bread and said the government must raise taxes on tobacco.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a fierce anti-smoker, approved a plan last week aimed at sharply cutting the smoking rate in Russia.
The measures include an eventual ban on cigarette advertising, restrictions on smoking in public places, and a gradual increase in cigarette taxes to bring Russia in line with European levels.