Well it took them long enough, but at least they have finally realized the problem. Too bad so many people had to die and this had to bite the Russians on the backside,but government usualy does nothing but "study the problem" until the problem is full blown. Sad!

In the 1980's Gorbachev was ready to tackle alcoholism in a big way but "Yours for Kentucky Club" Reagan, "Tobacco Institute" Thatcher and "Vatican Art Treasures Exhibit sponsored by Philip Morris" Pope John Paul II shut down the Soviet Union out from under him, and the lush Yeltsin was placed in power, leading to a drop of several years in Russian male life expectancy. The tobacco industry does not want to see alcohol go down because binge drinking is an important recruitment method into nicotine addiction. If Medvedev gets any further now, it will be because of diminished Big 2Wackgo power worldwide today.

Anonymous, Spare me the Kentucky put down. Our tobacco prevention and smoking cessation program is second to none! Smoking rates are going down here and the number of smoke free ordinances are going up. The state tax on tobacco has increased twice with the past two administrations. Things have changed a little since the days of Regonmics.