Tobacco restrictions came into force in Russia on Saturday which President Vladimir Putin hopes will create a healthier workforce and help reverse a population decline, but they face stiff opposition in a country where four in ten people smoke.
The measures, part of a law Putin signed in February, include a ban on smoking at schools and universities, museums, sports facilities, hospitals and on public transport - in many cases places where it is already prohibited.
A minimum price for cigarettes is expected to be set next January and the biggest challenge to Russia's cigarette culture will come in June 2014: a ban on smoking in cafes, restaurants and hotels, and on tobacco sales at street kiosks.
Nearly 40 percent of Russians smoke, compared with 27 percent in the United States and 30 percent in France, according to the World Health Organization's latest figures.
The measures, part of a law Putin signed in February, include a ban on smoking at schools and universities, museums, sports facilities, hospitals and on public transport - in many cases places where it is already prohibited.
A minimum price for cigarettes is expected to be set next January and the biggest challenge to Russia's cigarette culture will come in June 2014: a ban on smoking in cafes, restaurants and hotels, and on tobacco sales at street kiosks.
Nearly 40 percent of Russians smoke, compared with 27 percent in the United States and 30 percent in France, according to the World Health Organization's latest figures.
