Tobacco Asia

20 tobaccoasia / Issue 1, 2017 March / April he supported the proposal to extend the working hours for smokers, the head of the ministry of labor, Maxim Topilin, said that "the ministry of health should focus its attention to reforming the system of mandatory health insurance rather than trying to reform labor legislation." The ministry of finance did not support the draft, either. According to its press service, the draft law disagrees with the proposed increase in excise taxes on cigarettes and additional taxes. The ministry of health suggested a gradual increase in rates of excise duties on tobacco in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022, with the introduction of 10% tax on the retail sale of tobacco products and electron- ic cigarettes in 2017, and an "environmental tax" on cigarettes in 2018. "The proposed concept of raising the excise duties could lead to an increase in illicit trafficking of tobacco products, primarily from the member- states of the EAEC, since customs in mutual trade with them is absent, and the gap in the level of excise taxes would only increase," said a ministry of finance representative. Neither was the draft initiative supported by the federal anti-monopoly service. The anti-cartel authority felt that the concept needed to be im- proved by considering the views of the Russian business community. Rumor is, the ministry of economic development and the ministry of indus- try and trade also questioned the advisability of in- creasing excise rates, as well as the justification for equating electronic cigarettes to regular cigarettes. What this all means is that the ministry of health is currently unable to submit a finalized document for government approval. The health officials must work on the anti-tobacco legislation until the document is accepted by other colleagues involved in its development from other ministries and services before they can submit it to the gov- ernment. Tobacco companies for their part often complain that they have not been able to partici- pate in the discussion over the law, although they were invited to the meeting of the expert council on January 19, where the document was discussed. "We have not been able to study the document in detail because it has not been brought up for public discussion," said Yana Guskova, director of external corporate affairs for BAT Russia. "As far as we can judge based on media reports, many of the proposals in this draft law are too radical and do not consider the interests of consumers or the country as a whole." She added that in the case of e-cigarettes, limitations and restrictions are "unac- ceptable without conclusive scientific evidence". Sergey Kiselev, v.p. of corporate affairs and communications for JTI Russia, added: "The draft strategy stipulates the imposition of unprecedent- ed additional restrictions on the production and sale of tobacco products, which go far beyond the obligations of the Russia on tobacco control and even the WHO recommendations. Nothing jus- tifies the introduction of additional restrictions. Since 2010, the legal market of tobacco products in Russia has shrunk every year, while the volume of trade in illicit tobacco products has grown." Not all civil society organizations are con- vinced either. Consensus seems to indicate most people believe the draft law still imperfect and needs a lot of work before it is finalized and can be presented to the government. "As to the possible 2033 ban on the sale of tobacco to young people born after 2014," says Alexander Shlychkov, head of a healthy lifestyle foundation called Strength of Character, "in my opin- ion, this approach is much too heavy-handed. Public policy should aim to promote a healthy life- style and find the right way to make such a lifestyle fashionable among younger people. Unambigu- ously restrictive measures, especially when you consider adolescent psychology, could lead to a backlash. At the same time, I think that the prohi- bition of smoking for children is in many respects a sensible solution, but so far it is not clear how its enforcement will be monitored. The same applies to the ban on smoking in every place where some- body objects to tobacco smoke." The Russian government attempt at legislating tobacco out if existence is certainly not the first such ill-begotten initiative. Most likely this has to do with human nature. Throughout history, peo- ple have done things that are not necessarily good for them, oftentimes even at the threat of certain death. Which is why if we had to bet on it, it is likely that tobacco isn't going anywhere anytime soon – the heart wants what the heart wants.

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