The Ministry of Health and Social Development (MoH) is planning to submit the draft legislation “On Protection of Health of Citizens against Harmful Effects of Tobacco Consumption” to the Government of the Russian Federation in December. The legislation addresses all World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) requirements, including provisions on tax increases, advertising bans, smokefree places, graphic health warning labels, cessation services and public education activities.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development (MoH) is planning to submit the draft legislation “On Protection of Health of Citizens against Harmful Effects of Tobacco Consumption” to the Government of the Russian Federation in December. The legislation addresses all World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) requirements, including provisions on tax increases, advertising bans, smokefree places, graphic health warning labels, cessation services and public education activities.

In addition to meeting the FCTC requirements, the MoH seeks to empower regional governments by granting them a right to introduce more vigorous tobacco control regulations at a local level. Currently, decisions on tobacco control policies are under the sole jurisdiction of the federal government.

Since the release of the draft legislation in August, the MoH has received thousands of comments, letters and suggestions, from supporters and opponents alike. The proposal has been the subject of roundtable discussions, forums and conferences, many of which acknowledge the importance of the draft legislation and called for its immediate implementation, particularly its smokefree provisions. The importance of FCTC article 5.3 guidelines on implementation has been another focus of these discussions.

The interest generated by the draft legislation, whether positive or negative, attests to the urgency of the situation and the importance of having a strong national tobacco control policy in place. The MoH succeeded in drafting the national document, which was supported by more than 70% of Russians, regardless of their tobacco use status and despite efforts from the tobacco industry to undermine it.

This is a crucial time in the development of strong tobacco control legislation in the country, as the governmental review of the MoH document will demonstrate whether tobacco control policies can be successfully implemented in the Russian Federation. The legislation drafted by the Ministry of Health can be found here:

http://beztabaka2011.minzdravsoc.ru/