National anti-tobacco

Above about no-smoking.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, dramatic number of smokers, too much pressure on the government for 2010-2015, as part of the country's anti - tobacco programs cut was approved.

The recommendations of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which Russia ratified in April, are now fully reflected in this country's anti-tobacco laws.

Smoking is extremely popular in Russia, with the low cost of cigarettes being a major contributing factor to the trend. According to the Health Ministry figures, almost 40% of Russians are tobacco smokers and an estimated 80% are the so called "passive inhalers." The government plans to bring the number of smokers down to 25% and halve the number of the "passive inhalers".

Under the plan, there will be a shortlist of no-smoking zones to include hospital, schools, orphanage, sports facilities and all types of "indoor" premises. This list may eventually include also public transport, planes, auto- and railway stations, airports and even bust stops. Smoking at cafes and restaurants, clubs and concert halls will also be outlawed. During a special "transition period" people will be allowed to have a drag or two in well-ventilated areas expressly set aside for those who just can't quit.

The concept provides for a complete ban on the tar-content classification of cigarettes, as experts say that all talk about some cigarettes being less harmful than others is simply a means of hoodwinking consumers. There will also be a ban on advertising, sponsoring and stimulation of tobacco sales.

Cigarette smoking itself may soon become a luxury here now that the government is considering the cigarette sales tax to bring it up to par with European standards. All this reflects the aggressive anti-smoking campaign now on elsewhere in the world. There is a total ban on smoking in public places now in effect in Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Malta, the UK, Lithuania, Slovenia, Greece and Cyprus. Japan recently imposed a record 40 percent tax hike on cigarettes in a bid to curb the nation's smoking rate - the highest among major industrialized nations.

The harshest anti-tobacco law, however, is to be found in Finland, where you can wind up in jail for selling just one cigarette to someone who is under age.

National Poster Tar Wars

Above about Tar Wars National Poster.

Tar Wars isn't just about teaching kids not to smoke. It's about teaching them to stay away from all forms of tobacco. And, at this time of year, it's about taking that critical message to federal lawmakers.

Tar Wars national poster contest winner Alexa Barrett, an 11-year-old from American Falls, Idaho, presents Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, with a copy of her poster. Barrett and 28 other state-level winners in the Tar Wars national poster contest visited legislators July 14 in Washington, D.C.

Alexa Barrett, an 11-year-old from American Falls, Idaho, was named the AAFP initiative's national poster contest winner on July 13 during the Tar Wars National Conference in Washington, D.C. Barrett's poster featured a drawing of a cow accompanied by the slogan, "Cows are smart, they don't chew, they moo."

"That's pretty unique," said Pam Rodriguez, AAFP's tobacco control manager. "I don't think we've had a poster focused on chewing tobacco. The posters' messages are usually about smoking, but Tar Wars is about preventing all kinds of tobacco use."

Family physicians and other health care workers across the country present Tar Wars tobacco-free education programs to fourth- and fifth-graders in their local schools each year, discussing the toll tobacco takes on health, as well as the financial costs of tobacco use. More than 8 million children have heard the tobacco-free message since the program's inception in 1988.

The program, which is supported by the AAFP Foundation and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, culminates each year with a national poster contest made up of submissions from state-level poster contest winners. As the 2009 national contest winner, Barrett will receive a family trip to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., worth as much as $3,000.

"The program has really taught me a lot, like what really is in cigarettes and smoke and what it can do to you," Barrett told AAFP News Now.

Rodriguez said 29 of 38 state poster contest winners and members of their families made the trip to Washington, D.C. After an awards ceremony on July 13, the children visited about 50 members of the House and Senate the following day, presenting their legislators with copies of their posters.