Jump to full article: Moscow Times, 2008-05-07
Author: Svetlana Osadchuk / Staff Writer
Intro: 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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