Russians Urged to Smoke, Drink: Are They Crazy?

By: Neil Katz
Topics: Health Care ,; News ,; Cancer ,; Heart

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Will Russian smoke more for country's health? (istockphoto)

(CBS) Times are tough all over, but one Russian government official thinks he has the perfect medicine to cure his country's economic ills - more smoking and drinking.

"If you smoke a pack of cigarettes, that means you are giving more to help solve social problems such as boosting demographics, developing other social services and upholding birth rates," Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin said, according to the Interfax news agency.

"People should understand: Those who drink, those who smoke are doing more to help the state," he said.

Interesting advice.

The health impacts of smoking are well known - lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease and early death. And alcohol kills around half a million Russians each year, according to AFP.

Still Russians like to indulge. According to the news service, 65 percent of men smoke and the average Russian drinks 18 liters of booze each year, mostly vodka.

But Kudrin's advice is fundamentally about money. His ministry plans to double the currently low tax on cigarettes, reports AFP. Cigarettes now sell for around $1.30 a pack in Russia. By comparison, New Yorkers can pay up to $11 for a pack of smokes, with $5.85 going to government coffers.

In America, smoking taxes are often seen as a way to curb smoking, not just raise money.

A "15 percent decrease in teen smoking will result as initiation of this tax," Scott Santarella, CEO of the American Lung Association New York, said of a recent tax hike on cigarettes. "and a 5 percent adult smoking decrease from the tax itself."

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Is it smart business for Russia to urge people to smoke to raise money for the government or just really irresponsible?

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by lordanson September 5, 2010 9:56 PM EDT: Since colonial days, tobacco and alcohol have been a solid, reliable source in America for tax revenue. Alexei Kudrin has the honesty to state the obvious fact that no American politician will dare touch! Federal, state and municipal governments across America are flat broke and deeply in debt. They need revenue NOW! With the country's population aging and the average lifespan increasing, government will have to figure out ways to try to stay solvent. One way is to DECREASE the average lifespan of the American people. How is that accomplished? One way is to promote smoking, chewing, dipping and drinking. Absurd? Why was Prohibition ended in 1933? Because governments needed tax revenue that liquor and beer provided during the Great Depression. With all that is supposedly known about the dangers of tobacco, why hasn't it been banned from the market? I predict that, within five years of this writing, CBS and the other networks and media will once again be openly advertising tobacco products to the public.; Reply to this comment

by Gepfr September 3, 2010 3:07 PM EDT

This makes perfect sense to me. The Russians are drinking and smoking themselves to death for the good of the state and the American people are eating themselves to death for the good of giant (junk) food corporations. Vive La Difference!

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by Vertrauen September 3, 2010 7:43 PM EDT: Ahahahaha!!!! So right you are! Super size the order and super thighs the pants...so they also contribute to the garment industry!

by mghuber September 3, 2010 10:51 AM EDT

You have to laugh at the audacity of the russians. Surely they must know how the rest of the world would view this kind of remark.
I wonder if electronic cigarettes are popular in Russia. With all the health risks, smoking bans and ever-increasing taxes across the US and Canada more people have switched to e-cigs. That's partly why I got one
I found mine at www mistycig.com. Check it out if you want, it could save your life.

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by Valeri64 September 4, 2010 2:14 PM EDT: Unfortunately e-cigs are not really popular here in Russia, mainly cause of their high price - but I doubt they would be even if they were quite cheap.