Cigarette price to rise, scary pictures to appear on packs


Anti-smoking law has been sent to Lukashenka for signature. Whose interests the head of state chooses – doctors’ or financiers’ – will be known within two months.

Health Minister Vasil Zharko stated that the anti-smoking law had been passed and sent for approval to the president, TUT.by reports.

The text of the law was prepared in 2013, but the tobacco manufacturers lobbied its postponement. In addition, Belarus has no non-governmental organizations or associations that promoted anti-tobacco policy.

Manufacturers of cigarettes and smokers have something to fear: the law establishes a ban on smoking in public places, a total ban on cigarette advertising, a ban on the promotion of cigarettes in stores, placement of frightening images on packs and increased size of excise taxes that should affect the prices of products. According to the World Health Organization, increase of the tobacco tax by 10% leads to a reduction of tobacco consumption by 4%.

The issue of excise duty is the most acute here. Doctors are worried about health, tobacco companies – about income. The first threaten with dire consequences for the nation, others blackmail with layoffs of workers from tobacco factories. Officials take positions depending on the interests of their institutions. Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health are on the opposite sides of tobacco “barricades”.

Apparently, the doctors persevered, because Vasil Zharko is confident that the Belarusian leader will approve the law before the end of the year or even earlier. But perhaps “Nieman” and other companies should not worry too much – Zharko is famous for his loud but unfulfilled promises. In 2011 he declared that “in 2013 there will be no queues at polyclinics.”

National Statistical Committee estimates that in Belarus smoke 9% of women and 46% of men. Director of the Tobacco Factory “Nieman” Yury Chernyshou is not among them: he admitted that he has no such bad habit.

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