Small business threatened
Actual effects of the anti-tobacco legislation remain to be seen.
The majority of Russians are not convinced that smoking will become less popular. A poll conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) in January 2013 found that 51% of Russians believe the general number of smokers will not decrease at all, and 27% think it will fall only slightly.
Restaurants and bars also seem unlikely to experience any revenue loss as a result of becoming smoke-free. "People won't stop going out for love of a cigarette," said Don Craig, an event organizer who works with restaurants such as Casa Agave and Papa's Place. "Most businesses I know don't even like the hassle of selling cigarettes, so the overall effect on sales according to tobacco revenue would be minimal."
"I think it may actually create a sales boost due to increased food sales, especially bar snacks and appetizers," he added.
It does appear certain, though, that the anti-tobacco law will have a crippling effect on small businesses and kiosks whose survival relies mainly on cigarette sales.
"Most of our money comes from cigarettes," said Artyom, an employee at a small underpass kiosk near the Park Kultury metro station. "We'll keep working until the law starts, but then we will definitely close. We can't stay open without money from cigarettes."
The Ministry of Economic Development estimates that adoption of the law could lead to the closure of about 175,000 retail properties, leaving about 500,000 people unemployed.
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