“They will not disturb anyone”: the State Duma approved reading of smoking doors to airports at the first reading

The State Duma of Russia in the first reading approved a bill proposing to return to the territory of airports special premises for smoking. According to parliamentarians, the creation of equipped smoking rooms will allow to protect non-smoking people from tobacco smoke.

It is proposed to make a small change to the law of 2013 “On the protection of the health of citizens from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and the effects of tobacco consumption”, adding a sub-clause, which spelled out, where smoking is allowed.

"... in specially isolated rooms that are equipped with ventilation systems and organized at airports in areas designed to find passengers registered for the flight after the pre-flight inspection, as well as in areas intended for passengers in transit," the document says .

According to the initiator of the bill, the first deputy chairman of the Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications, Sergey Boyarsky, the main goal of the project is to “protect non-smokers and preserve clean air in public spaces”.

"It is proposed to return the opportunity, and only the opportunity, and not to oblige our aviation node operators to organize isolated smoking areas or so-called smoking cabins, in order to allow smokers to realize their need in situations when they are waiting for a flight for several hours, while delaying the flight or long transplants. So they will not interfere with anyone and violate the rights of non-smokers, ”said the parliamentarian.

"A total ban is a provocation for violation"

Sergei Vostretsov, a member of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs, explained why he supports the initiative to return specially equipped smoking rooms to Russian airports.

“Smoking, like any other predilection, is a harm, and society needs to improve. Nevertheless, there are some people who take for themselves a certain way of life that does not pose a threat to others, only for themselves. It is impossible to restrict a person who, within the framework of the legal field, wants to use his life like this. I believe that such an opportunity should be provided. A total ban is provocative of a violation, ”Vostretsov said in an interview with RT.

At the same time, the deputy noted the importance of competent arrangement of smoking rooms in airport buildings.

“I saw experimental rooms, it was impossible to breathe there. For smokers, such premises should be comfortable, modern, with good ventilation, ”explained the parliamentarian.

At the same time, the head of the political expert group Konstantin Kalachev also considers the document timely and correct.

“If we talk about what the lack of smokers caused, it was sometimes impossible to breathe in the toilets. Heavy smokers simply closed in the booths and smoked there. I often fly, and it’s not at all healthy when people hide and smoke, and then it’s just impossible to go to the toilet. Modern smoking rooms with ventilation provide convenience to a large group of people. The fight against smoking should not be to limit the rights of smokers. You just need to explain the harmfulness of habits and offer alternatives, and you really need to return smoking rooms at airports, ”said the source.

As stated on the website of the State Duma, in only half of 2014, 1,938 cases of administrative offenses were instituted in connection with smoking in the territory of the Sheremetyevo airport. At the same time, according to a VTsIOM survey, a third of Russians (33%) do not comply with the ban on smoking in public places.

Criticism of the Federation Council and the Public Chamber

Note that the draft law adopted by the State Duma in the first reading was criticized by representatives of the Committee of the Council of the Federation and the Public Chamber.

“Our committee gave a negative opinion on the bill on the return of smoking rooms at airports. Such initiatives lead to a relaxation of anti-tobacco legislation - then they will want to relax the requirements for smoking on platforms, in hallways, in hotels, ”RIA Novosti quotes head of the Social Committee of the Federation Council Valery Ryazansky.

In turn, a member of the Commission of the Public Chamber of Russia on physical culture and promotion of healthy lifestyles, the head of the project “Sober Russia” Sultan Khamzayev pointed out that the document was lobbied by tobacco corporations, and the return of smoking cigarettes would be an additional advertisement for their products.

“Deputies should have wondered how to solve the problem of smoking at airports. To do this, we need to move smoking areas away from the entrance, and certainly not into the sterile area, ”he explained.