Russia was never at the forefront of anti-smoking, but the country has made some impressive strides in recent years. 2013 saw a smoking ban in all public places, leading to a decrease in smokers by almost 10%.
While impressive in its own right, the country is looking to take things one step further with a complete smoking ban on anyone born after 2015! While nothing is official at the moment, it looks set to be strongly considered as Russia attempts to further reduce its total number of smokers.
The ban would mean that no person born after 2015 can purchase tobacco, with the Ministry of Health recently announcing the proposal.
Despite the good intentions behind the move, it has had its share of critics, with many citing it as too drastic a move that will only lead to the development of a tobacco black market.
However, Nikolai Gerasimenko, current member of the Russian parliament’s heath committee, spoke in favour of the move, saying “this goal is absolutely ideologically correct”.
