Lawyer evaluated the initiative to ban smoking on the go

Lawyer Anna Cherepanova assessed the initiative of Amir Khamitov, deputy deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, to ban smoking on the move.

In a conversation with RuNews24.Ru on Tuesday, December 3, the expert called the initiative quite viable. She recalled that earlier smokers used to smoke in public places, but now they are forced to do it in specially designated places.

"Such measures should be introduced in Russia carefully and gradually. Of course, it is necessary to work out the legal framework so that from a legal point of view there are no violations of the rights of the country's citizens," Cherepanova emphasized.

Today the fine for smoking in a public place varies from 500 to 1.5 thousand rubles. Liability applies not only to smoking tobacco, but also to the use of vapes, cigarillos, hookahs and other similar products. Smoking on a playground is punishable by a fine of Br2 thousand to Br3 thousand. According to the legislation, responsibility for smoking in public places begins at the age of 16. If a violation of fire safety rules on the part of a smoker is established, he faces an additional penalty in the form of a fine of up to Br15 thousand.

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The day before, December 2, Amir Khamitov, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Sports from the New People party, sent an appeal to the head of the Ministry of Health of Russia Mikhail Murashko, where he proposed to ban smoking on the move. In his opinion, this will make cities cleaner and more pleasant to live in. Also, the ban will help to reduce the spread of smoking among young people.

In his opinion, banning smoking in public places is not enough, as people often smoke while moving on the streets, and they do not care that smoke or vapor from electronic cigarettes flies into the faces of other people, Life.ru notes.

"Smoke from cigarettes released on the move spreads over a considerable distance and affects people who do not smoke, leading to serious health consequences," the parliamentarian's website kp.ru quoted him as saying.

According to Khamitov, the main task for Russians is to raise a healthy young generation, the introduction to sports and healthy lifestyle from the earliest years plays a huge role in improving people's health, writes NSN.

In late November, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said that bills to toughen penalties for selling vapes to children will be introduced in the lower house of parliament in the near future, RT notes.

In October, the Russian Health Ministry proposed to ban Russians born after December 31, 2009 from buying tobacco products. According to Regnum news agency, the Finance Ministry did not support the proposal, noting that it contradicts the provision of the Constitution, according to which a Russian citizen is not limited in rights and freedoms from the age of 18.