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JAPAN TOBACCO TO COURT RUSSIAN SMOKERS WITH PREMIUM BRANDS 

Japan Tobacco Inc. (TSE:2914) will step up its cigarette marketing efforts in Russia, focusing on upscale brands to woo local consumers, whose incomes are rising.

In May, JT released a premium brand in Russia that is part of the Winston product family. JT sells Winston after it acquired the non-U.S. cigarette operations of American firm RJR Nabisco Inc. The new brand is "off to a strong start," according to Executive Officer Akira Saeki.

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Queen Wants Moscow Sports Complex to Become Non-Smoking Area 

Legendary rock band The Queen expected to perform with Paul Rodgers on 15 and 16 September in Moscow has requested the concert organizers to announce the Olympic Sports Complex a non-smoking area.

Besides the band brings along its own cooks and equipment to arrange a restaurant where the musicians and their assistants will have meals during those several days they are going to spend in the Olympic.

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• Cheap cigarettes: a bane of Russia 

Russian smokers appear to have generally ignored the World No-Tobacco Day on May 31 even as the government moved in to crack down on smoking.

A poll conducted in Moscow showed that smokers had no plans to kick the habit even for a single day, the RIA Novosti news agency reported. It obviously would take much more than arranging anti-smoking conferences and concerts across the country to mark the No-Tobacco Day.

Smoking has grown to catastrophic proportions in Russia. Today, Russians puff through twice as many cigarettes as they did 10 years . . .

the government has finally braced itself to fight the tobacco epidemic. Last month, Russia joined the 2003 World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The Parliament now plans to ban cigarette advertising, smoking in public places and restrict sale of cigarettes.

Meteoric increase in smoking in Russia began after the break-up of the Soviet Union . . .

In his confirmation speech in Parliament last month, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin set the task of raising the average life expectancy in Russia from 65.5 years to 75 years over the next 10 years, and specifically called for combating smoking. But tobacco transnationals would not give in without a fight. They have already invested about $2 billion in Russia and are further expanding production to catch up with the booming Russian market.

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Smoking bus drivers punished in Nakhodka 

Smoking bus drivers were photographed by passengers with mobiles and fined for their bad habit, Nakhodka’s city administration recently reported.

Two drivers were caught smoking when driving city public buses in the Pacific port of Nakhodka in the end of April. According to the passenger transportation rules, drivers of public transportation are forbidden to smoke or talk over mobile phones when they are performing their dutuies. Police report that many road accidents are caused by motorists who pay less attention to driving when they are busy with something else.

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Duma Ratifies UN Anti-Tobacco Treaty 

State Duma deputies floated radical plans on Friday to cut tobacco use after ratifying a United Nations anti-smoking convention.

Potential measures include dramatically increasing the cost of cigarettes and banning their sale in roadside kiosks, Nikolai Gerasimenko, deputy head of the Duma's Public Health Committee said Friday, Interfax reported.

The comments come as the Duma finally passed a law on accepting the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

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Likbez: Smoke-Free Cafes 

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• Limits On Lighting Up 

Having a cigarette with your morning coffee may soon become a forbidden pleasure at many of Moscow's restaurants and cafes following a recent decision by the State Duma to consider a bill cracking down on smoking in public places.

Russia's recent ratification -- alongside 172 other countries -- of the global convention against smoking spurred the sudden concern over secondhand smoke. The convention requires that a ban on smoking in public places be introduced gradually, along with other anti-tobacco measures.

"Our restaurants will see a considerable change after the Duma's spring session," said Nikolai Gerasimenko, the deputy head of the Duma's Public Health Committee. He said each facility would have to provide a separate hall and proper ventilation for smokers.

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Russia joins global anti-smoking convention 

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday which will see the country join the World Health Organization's anti-smoking convention, a Kremlin spokesman said.

Under the convention, which was ratified by Russia's lower house of parliament earlier this month, a tobacco advertising ban should be implemented within five years, and at least 30% of tobacco packets should contain a health warning.

The signatories to the convention are also encouraged to raise taxes for tobacco producers, eliminate the illicit trade in tobacco products, ban tobacco sales to and by minors, and promote agricultural diversification and alternative livelihoods for tobacco producers.

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Russia's Putin puts forward proposals for his premiership 

Former Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward a number of proposals for his premiership during a speech at the State Duma Thursday.

The State Duma is the Russian parliament's lower house.

Putin, who stepped down as president Wednesday, was nominated as prime minister by his successor, Dmitry Medvedev. The State Duma approved Putin's candidacy Thursday. . . .

Putin went on to unveil his program for health-related issues. To prevent smoking and drinking, he suggested increasing government spending on sports, recreation and education campaigns against smoking and alcoholism.

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• Smoking, drinking disastrous for Russia - Putin 

Smoking and drinking are disastrous for Russia, candidate for prime minister Vladimir Putin said at the Thursday meeting of the State Duma. . . .

"Certainly, we will not fight this evil with bans or higher prices," he added.

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Russia to Hike Excise Duties on Alcohol, Tobacco  

Russia's government intends to hike excise duties on alcohol and tobacco, Vedomosti reported . . .

The excise duty on tobacco is forecasted to soar 22 percent to 25 percent on year.

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Suspected Tobacco Mafia mastermind arrested 

Stanko Subotić, one of the key suspects in the 1990s cigarette smuggling case, has been arrested in Moscow.

Serbian police, MUP, today confirmed the news, and added that Subotić is now in detention pending his extradition to Serbia.

Subotić, a Serbian businessman, is charged with organizing a criminal group that in 1995 and 1996 illegally imported and sold cigarettes in the Serbian market.

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Tobacco Mafia trial could be postponed 

BELGRADE -- The trial of Stanko Subotić and others suspected of participating in the cigarette smuggling ring of the 1990s, could be delayed.

Subotić was arrested in Moscow yesterday. The Special Sector of the Belgrade District Court stated that the trial, scheduled to begin on May 19, could be pushed back until Subotić is extradited.

The Special Organized Crimes Court stated that the trial, scheduled to begin on May 19, could be pushed back until Subotić is extradited.

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Russia Joined Tobacco Convention 

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has inked a federal act on joining the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Tobacco products will have new rate of taxation in Russia, the regulations for warning notices on the packs will become much tougher and the ban on tobacco advertising will be imposed.

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• Putin Signs Russia Up To WHO Anti-smoking Treaty 

Russia signalled its intention to kick its smoking habit Friday as President Vladimir Putin signed a law approving Russia's entry into the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

The Kremlin announced Putin's signing of the accord in a statement.

Smoking is widespread in Russia with 60% of men, 30% of women and 50% of adolescents lighting up, official statistics show.

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