Russia's lower house of parliament, the Duma, has approved legislation to lower tar and nicotine content in cigarettes and to place large health warnings on the packs.

The bill reduces the maximum amounts of tar and nicotine in cigarettes by 15-20 per cent and rules that health warnings must be no smaller than 30 per cent of a pack's surface. These measures are in line with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the tobacco control agreement of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which Russia signed this year.
But the legislation also allows cigarette makers to continue to identify some brands as "light" or "low-tar" while the FCTC guidelines, which are not mandatory, have urged that such terms be prohibited.
The law must still be approved by the upper house and signed by the president before taking effect. (pi)