http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/russia.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Cigarette_caused_Russian_sub_fire/articleshow/3700042.cms http://tobacco.org/news/274291.html Unauthorised smoking could have triggered on the fire-extinguishing system that led to 20 people losing their lives on the Russian nuclear submarine, to be leased to India next year, a naval expert said on Tuesday. The new theory on what led to the worst accident in Russian navy's history came as top former naval commander Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov, described the massive death toll on board a brand new submarine "gross unprofessionalism and negligence". . . . Pressing at the possibility of cigarette smoke triggering the mishap, Chairman of St Petersburg club of submariners, Capt (rtd) Igor Kudrin said a person might have lighted a cigarette near a safety gauge switching on the fire-extinguishing system. "After its modification the fire-extinguishing system (inclusion of automatic Freon release system) began reacting to smoke and temperature above 70 degrees C. In principle it could have been activated by cigarette smoke," Kudrin was quoted as saying by 'Moskovsky Komsomolets' daily. "Since it is very difficult to control civilians, may be one of them, instead of waiting for his turn to go to smoking room, lighted cigarette near a safety gauge," he said. While older generations of submarines had fire safety systems that were activated on the captain's command, new submarines have systems that switch on automatically The Times of India Russia Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/1010/42/372249.htm http://tobacco.org/news/274287.html Civilians are supposed to undergo training on safety procedures, but "it is usually limited to some formal instructions," Igor Kudrin, a former submarine captain, told Kommersant. He speculated that someone lighting a cigarette near a safety gauge might have triggered the fire system. While older generations of submarines had fire safety systems that were activated on the captain's command, new submarines have systems that switch on automatically, said another former submarine captain, Nikolai Markovtsev, Kommersant reported. Moscow Times Russia Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RUSSIA_SUBMARINE?SITE=CAWOO&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://tobacco.org/news/274249.html A manufacturing flaw, a misplaced cable, even a cigarette. Those are some of the scenarios put forward by navy veterans and experts as investigators try to determine what activated a firefighting system aboard a new Russian nuclear submarine beneath the Sea of Japan, and why 20 people were killed. The Akula-class submarine was undergoing sea trials Saturday with 208 people aboard when its fire-extinguishing system activated in error, spewing Freon gas that suffocated the victims and injured 21 others, Russian officials said. With little official information emerging yet about the precise cause, experts said overcrowding and human errors may have contributed to the accident and the casualty toll aboard the Nerpa - the worst on a Russian sub since the Kursk disaster killed 118 seamen in 2000. . . . Igor Kurdin, a former captain who heads an association of submarine veterans, told the Russian newspaper Kommersant that the fire-suppression system could have been triggered by something as simple as someone smoking a cigarette near a safety gauge. "Civilians should have undergone training. But it usually is a mere formality," Kurdin was quoted as saying. AP Russia Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-20-2008/0004907297&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/272692.html A renegade network of Russian and Eastern European factories is behind at least $1 billion worth of contraband "Jin Ling" cigarettes pouring into Europe, according to a five-month investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a project of the Center for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C. The story, "Made To Be Smuggled," leads off a six-part ICIJ series on cigarette smuggling -- Tobacco Underground (http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/tobacco) -- with interactive maps, undercover video, online interviews with experts, and links to groups and documents worldwide. As delegates from nearly 160 countries meet in Geneva this week to negotiate a global protocol to crackdown on tobacco smuggling, the ICIJ team has pieced together the unique story of the world's first ever cigarette brand designed and manufactured only for smuggling. "Jin Ling is the most disturbing new development anywhere in the world in the illegal tobacco trade," said Luk Joossens, a World Health Organization expert in tobacco smuggling. "They are flooding into Europe." PR Newswire Europe Russia Eastern Europe Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/tobacco/articles/entry/758/ http://tobacco.org/news/272672.html Notorious as a haven for smugglers and money launderers, Kaliningrad, Russia, is not a place where it's safe to ask many questions. In 2006, troops raided a local newspaper office that criticized the police for, among other things, protecting cigarette smugglers. In April 2008, ICIJ reporters went undercover to investigate the source of Europe's "most disturbing" new development in contraband tobacco: Jin Ling cigarettes. Made in Kaliningrad by the Baltic Tobacco Factory, Jin Lings are flooding the black market across the European Union. ICIJ reporters, carrying concealed video gear, posed as smugglers and set out to follow the Jin Ling trail. 400 Packs a Minute -- Tour inside the Baltic Tobacco Factory. "Have You Bought Jin Ling Before?" -- Jin Ling managers explain how the system works. The Deal -- A wholesaler lays out the local cigarette prices. Center for Public Integrity Russia Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/tobacco/articles/entry/843/ http://tobacco.org/news/272662.html Kaliningrad can be a dangerous place to ask questions about smuggling. The Russian territory, sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, went into rapid and cataclysmic decline after the break up of the Soviet Union, but has since profited immensely from its close proximity and excellent transport to the European Union. It has also gained a reputation as a haven for smugglers and money launderers, and for a police force accommodating to smugglers' interests. The city is home to a noisy night life and frontier atmosphere, with luxury limousines a frequent sight on the streets. Russian journalists working in Kaliningrad know that to openly ask about the cigarette contraband trade is a risky business. In 2006, after criticizing the police -- including the protection they give to smugglers -- the local Novye Kolesa newspaper was raided and its newspapers confiscated. The paper's co-founder, Igor Rudnikov, was then prosecuted for "beating 22 police officers." "In Kaliningrad there were even contract killings of tobacco businessmen," says Rudnikov, a local parliamentary deputy. "But not one of those crimes was disclosed. And it is hard to imagine that law enforcement does not know what is going on." To investigate the Baltic Tobacco Factory company (BTF) in the high risk environment of Kaliningrad, ICIJ's reporters went undercover in June 2008, with one posing as a Romanian smuggler setting up a new route to the EU. They carried concealed video and recording equipment to witness all that they saw and heard. (Their video report is available online.) Center for Public Integrity Russia Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/tobacco/articles/entry/763/ http://tobacco.org/news/272661.html The investigation has identified a network of Russian and East European companies, including 5 factories believed to play roles in manufacturing the contraband cigarettes being smuggled to the West. The Russian-run factory network now claims to be able to produce more than 24 billion cigarettes annually. This would be equivalent to 7 percent of legal EU cigarette imports. Originally imported from China, Jin Ling features a king-size packet design that closely resembles the legal Camel brand in color, typestyle, and layout. Instead of a camel, the packs are illustrated by a mountain goat. Jin Ling cigarettes have no legal market in any European country, according to customs officials. The brand is never advertised and cannot be bought in shops. It is only sold illegally -- smuggled by gangs who hope to pocket immense profits by selling unlicensed, untaxed cigarettes on black markets across Europe. "Jin Ling is the most disturbing new development anywhere in the world in the illegal tobacco trade," according to Luk Joossens, a World Health Organization expert in tobacco smuggling. "They are flooding into Europe." The ten-country investigation of Jin Ling was done by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a non-profit network of independent journalists who first exposed the complicity of Big Tobacco in smuggling eight years ago. Center for Public Integrity Europe Russia Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/oct/20/tobaccoindustry-russia-europe-smuggling-cigarettes http://tobacco.org/news/272657.html Kaliningrad, with its frontier atmosphere, is a dangerous place to ask questions about smuggling. But this isolated Russian enclave on the Baltic is now alleged to be the home of a novel phenomenon which is alarming western authorities. Russia is accused of allowing Britain and Europe to be flooded with a wave of cut-price smuggled cigarettes. The most recent UK seizure was this month, at Coventry. An incriminating video, extracts from which are published by the Guardian today, was shot by undercover journalists at a huge cigarette factory in Kaliningrad. The video is likely to lead to diplomatic repercussions, worsening already strained relations between Russia and the UK. It shows that the Baltic Tobacco Company (BTC), apparently Russian-owned, is manufacturing on a large scale a previously obscure cigarette brand called Jin Ling. The firm is selling them by the container-load to smugglers at 20 US cents a packet. Smuggled Jin Ling, resembling the US Camel brand in appearance, are coming to light across Europe from Lithuania to Venice. The Guardian business.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk UK Europe Russia Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://mnweekly.ru/local/20081016/55351154.html http://tobacco.org/news/272578.html When I was shopping abroad in Europe I couldn't help noticing a pack of cigarettes in the shop window. Across the front of the boxes were warnings, like: 'Get help to stop smoking: consult your doctor,' 'Smoking seriously harms you and others around you,' and 'Smoking when pregnant harms your baby,' and so on. These warnings were written in large, bold print on both sides of the pack. I compared these warnings to the standard, fine-print message on Russian smokes: 'Minzrdav warns: smoking is harmful to your health.' The European warnings seemed to be more effective . . . Considering the fact that Russia's lower house of parliament ratified the World Health Organization Framework convention against smoking in February 2008, one of the key points of which was a ban of smoking in public places such as schools, universities, public transport and resorts, Russian students now have something else to talk about. What would they do if smoking was banned everywhere on campus? Students seem unphased, as they are generally sure that special smoker zones would be created. "If a person smokes, he should be given an opportunity to do that, but the rights of non-smokers should also be protected," argues Evgeny Arkhipov, a lawyer and chairman of the 'Association of Russia's Lawyers for Human Rights.' . . . In Russia, smoking is a lifestyle, but the health issues, not to mention demographics, have become so dire that something must change. The WHO Framework Convention against smoking is designed to make it easier for national governments to implement tobacco controls, including a ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship. It is hoped these steps will prevent millions of people from starting smoking and give extra reasons for smokers to kick the habit. Many smokers think the restrictions will not change the situation. "I think everyone has a right to decide what he will die from. When I smoke, I have control both over my life and death," one of my friends concluded. While it's still everyone's personal choice to smoke or not, people should be aware of the statistics. According to the World Health Organization, more than 5 million people worldwide die from smoking each year. Of this number, more than 300,000 are Russia's citizens. Moscow News Weekly !--Rating@Mail.ru (Anna Laletina) Russia Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.cafebabel.com/eng/article/26200/schengen-poland-smuggling-cigarettes-investigation.html http://tobacco.org/news/272040.html I’m standing on the crooked pavement of the square in front of the tatty Terespol railway station. Belarus is only a few kilometers east from here. Against the gloomy backdrop of the townlet buildings a new, nicely smelling white board stands out, complete with the Polish and European Union flags. Soon I’ll know that it is the only wordly feature of this town which has found itself on the way to economic collapse. The Saturday morning silence is broken only by the whistle of the train leaving for Brest and the barking of a homeless mongrel. What’s it like to live here? I ask myself, going 'downtown'. . . . ''The prices have gone up as the customs officers are more difficult to bribe' - smugglers 'Rubbish!' responds assistant superintendent Cezary Grochowski, the spokesperson for the Municipal Police Department in Biała Podlaska, to the boys’ allegations. 'The policemen and border guards go out of their way to dispose of the smugglers, once and for all.' He does admit, however, that individual cases still crop up, but, in his opinion, the times of smuggling are over. . . . Lean years on the eastern partition had begun long before Poland became part of the Schengen zone. Since the introduction of the Russian embargo on Polish meat, more and more meat plants have collapsed like a house of cards. Both legal and illegal trade with Belarus had flourished until 21 December 2007, so it was possible to make up for the losses. Today, Terespol citizens are fearful of what the future may bring. cafebabel.com Russia Ukraine Poland Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mnweekly.ru/business/20080911/55345858.html http://tobacco.org/news/271255.html Russia's consumer rights agency, Rospotrebnadzor, has begun legal proceedings against British American Tobacco (BAT), claiming that the company has been deliberately misleading consumers. Head of the agency, Gennady Onischenko, told journalists on Monday that he had signed the appropriate papers to begin a legal action and ordered them to be forwarded to the court. Although he did not specify the exact nature of the charges, Oni­schenko accused tobacco companies of operating a dual standard policy; supplying Russian consumers with cigarettes of a lower quality than cigarettes supplied to the European market; Moscow News Weekly !--Rating@Mail.ru (Rebeccah Billing) Russia Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL816757520080908?sp=true http://tobacco.org/news/270940.html Russia will sue cigarette maker British American Tobacco (BAT) for spreading misinformation and selling lower grade products than in Europe, state consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Monday. . . . "British American Tobacco maintains its activities in Russia are in full accordance with Russian law," BAT's director of corporate affairs in Russia, Alexander Lyuty, said. The head of the watchdog, Gennady Onishchenko, told a press briefing: "These gentlemen are satisfied with Russia as an uncivilised market where they can sell products not according to European legislation which are dangerous and poisonous." He said he had already sent BAT the appropriate legal documents. BAT denied receiving the documents. Reuters Russia Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/world/europe/10smoking.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=smoking&st=nyt&oref=slogin http://tobacco.org/news/270935.html health analysts say the heavy rate of smoking here plays a big role in a looming population drop that has economists here quite worried. Yet the Russian government seems reluctant to tackle the high smoking rate. Even as it tries to forestall a sharp drop in the population with campaigns that heavily promote family life and a higher birthrate, it has barely invested in anti-tobacco ads and education. A pack of cigarettes here can cost as little as 25 cents because, unlike in the United States and many Western European countries, in Russia, tobacco is hardly taxed. The government appears to have allowed cigarette sales and smoking to flourish in part because it is wary of engaging in the kind of anti-vice campaigns that have historically produced a sharp backlash in Russia. While the Kremlin tends to keep a strong grip on Russian politics, it remains sensitive to broad-based protests over issues like inflation, pensions and housing, as well as tobacco and alcohol. Dmitri Yanin, chairman of the Consumer Societies Confederation, a nonprofit group in Moscow, and one of Russia's top specialists on tobacco control, said officials did not want to curb smoking because they remembered the response to cigarette shortages and crackdowns on alcohol in the 1980s. New York Times Russia Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/sep/09/britishamericantobacco.tobaccoindustry http://tobacco.org/news/270893.html British American Tobacco has become the latest UK company to be targeted in Russia with threats of legal action by the country's consumer rights agency, Rospotrebnadzor. Gennady Onishchenko, director of Rospotrebnadzor, said yesterday that he had signed a lawsuit against BAT for "misleading" consumers and infringing their rights, although he would not give details. The Guardian business.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk Russia Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/0430dc52e7cef465cc1fe5ef4ca9221f.htm http://tobacco.org/news/270874.html Russia's top health officer said Monday his governmental agency is suing British American Tobacco's Russian office for misleading consumers, Russian news agencies reported. AP Russia Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT