Russian govt OKs anti-smoking bill

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Russian govt OKs anti-smoking bill

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Russia's government has OKed a bill that would ban smoking in public and tobacco ads.

18 October,2012 03:59 pm

The government on Thursday approved a landmark deal that would crack down on smoking in a country where 44 million people, or 40 percent of adults, light up.The approval of the bill, which has yet to be discussed in parliament and signed by the president, follows a plea by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who on Tuesday called for a crackdown on tobacco companies making money on children.Smoking rates have shot up in the past two decades, fueled by extremely low prices for cigarettes and largely uncontrolled advertising.