Smoking Animals

From Russia Today:
"‘Russia treats smokers like animals’ – doctor"

Russia's chief addiction doctor says smokers should stop being treated like animals. He has calling for "humane" areas at airports and other public places in which they can light up." The sale of tobacco in Russia is allowed officially and the government gets an income in the form of excise duties,” says Evgeny Bryun an expert in drug and alcohol dependency at Russia’s Health Ministry, "So the government must provide smokers with smoking areas."  Bryun added that although there must be an official policy of lowering tobacco consumption, smokers should be treated decently and not forced to smoke in small areas with bad ventilation like those at the airports. "Otherwise it seems smokers are treated like animals," Bryun said. “The emphasis should be on pre-emptive measures and encouragement for those who quit smoking rather than on the policy of bans. Bans alone will not achieve much.” He cited the example of Europe, where those who stop smoking get a pay rise, as well as those who get up an hour early and go the gym. Bryun’s remarks come amid a major government crackdown on smoking. According to recently-adopted laws, smoking in public places and tobacco advertising, including on public transport, will be banned from 2014. Hotels, cafes and nightclubs will become smoke-free starting from 2015. By 2013, cigarettes will disappear from store shelves to be sold only by catalogue. At least 400,000 people die in Russia annually from smoking-related diseases. Official statistics indicate that 45 per cent of Russian citizens have smoked, and 34 per cent smoke regularly. Currently, the average age when a person starts smoking in Russia is 11 years old. Despite the annual decrease in the population, cigarette consumption grows every year.

^  I think that most countries in the world (not just Russia) have been treating smokers like animals and discriminating against them for the past several years - the US more so then most places. I am all for educating people about the dangers of smoking and having certain areas for smoking, but  local, State and Federal governments tend to treat smokers as criminals even though smoking is legal. Until cigarettes are banned from being sold and smoked then places (ie airports, restaurants, hospitals, universities, etc) should not be allowed to outright ban all smoking on their property. They should be required to have separate, indoor areas where smokers can go and where non-smokers do not have to worry about second-hand smoke. ^

http://rt.com/news/prime-time/russia-smokers-animals-areas-605/