The period following successful passage of a new tobacco control law is a challenging time.
In December, The Union Russia Office offered a workshop on smokefree implementation and enforcement, providing skills and support to tobacco control agencies and advocates dealing with the challenging period that follows successful passage of a new tobacco control law.
Representatives from nine regions took part in the training on 17–18 December in Moscow, where they covered topics from law implementation, enforcement, monitoring and evaluation to advocacy, communication and working with the media. A goal of the workshop was to strengthen the participants’ links with each other, as well as foster partnerships between The Union and new regions of the country.
The workshop was especially timely because international experience shows that the first six months after a new tobacco control law goes into effect are crucial. In Russia, this period began in June 2013 – and while the law called urgently for a strong enforcement mechanism, offences and penalties did not go into effect until 15 November.
Consequently during this period, the tobacco industry has applied pressure aggressively to try to weaken the law by allowing “exceptions” to the smoking ban. In addition, while other countries have reported high levels of voluntary compliance, in Russia the new law has proved controversial. In one given week, the leading Internet search engine showed 250,000 hits requesting information about the law. When penalties went into effect, it was a wake-up call, and, in Moscow alone, 1,000 people were fined in the first month. The number of people requesting help to quit smoking has also reportedly risen dramatically.
These developments are viewed positively as signs that the momentum of the tobacco control is speeding up. The December workshop was the second implementation and enforcement training offered by The Union, with an earlier one held in May prior to the law going into force. Both workshops were very well received, and the participants departed with action plans in hand. Ongoing support to help them reach their goals will be provided, as needed, by The Union Russia Office.