Russian State Duma (Parliament) ratified the framework convention of the World Health Organization (WHO) on tobacco control..

April 17, 2008 - Russian State Duma (Parliament) ratified the framework convention of the World Health Organization (WHO) on tobacco control.. Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been joined by 172 countries, including the European Union (EU), but not all countries implement it with the same zeal. Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Italy have banned smoking in public places, whereas Australia, Brazil, Canada, Singapore and Thailand have so far limited themselves to frightening pictures about the risks of smoking on cigarette packs. Olga Borzova, who chairs the Duma's committee for health protection, quoted a sad statistic - every year, up to half a million Russians die of smoking-related diseases. Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's consumer rights regulator, estimates that in the last 20 years the number of smokers has risen by 440,000. Some 65% of men and more than 30% of women smoke in Russia. Doctors insist that a quarter of regular smokers will die prematurely. Today, the Ministry of Health and Social Development and law-makers are together drafting a national strategy of tobacco control to meet the convention's main requirements. Borzova said it may be adopted before the end of this year. The U.S. signed the FCTC treaty in 2004, to date it has not ratified it. Signing of the treaty without ratification commits countries to support it, but does not create a legal obligation to abide by its provisions. Click on image to enlarge..