Russia posts another 30,000 cigarette outlets

Cigarettes are due to go on sale in Russian post offices, according to a story in the Moscow Times quoting the pro-government daily Izvestia.

In line with an agreement reached between Russia’s national mail service, Russian Post, and four tobacco companies, British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Tobacco, cigarettes will be sold through 30,000 post offices across the country. Russian Post has 42,000 outlets throughout the country, and many of them are in small villages.

‘This [the agreement] will provide easier access to the high-quality essential commodities for those living in rural areas,’ Russian Post was quoted as saying in a statement.

But Anti-tobacco Coalition chairperson Daria Khalturina sees more harm than good in the deal.

Khalturina told Izvestia that such an expansion of tobacco distribution ran counter to the state’s policy of reducing the number of smokers in the country.