烟草在线据《华尔街日报》报道编译　　9月4日星期二，俄罗斯卫生部的一名女发言人说，一项试图对俄罗斯的吸烟实施重大限制的草案不可能在2013年春季之前提交国会了。

　　俄罗斯卫生部于8月31日正式公布的法案最初时间，要求政府在10月18日对这项立法进行审核。在最佳的情况下，这项法案将于11月1日提交给国家杜马。一旦提交国家杜马，基本上可以指望这项法案获得通过。

　　但俄罗斯立法议员们现在说，这项法案不可能在国会的春季会议前得到听证，因为这项法律要求举行一系列的公众听证，并要求首先建立专家小组。

　　这项法案草案含有禁止在大多数公共场所吸烟、限制烟草广告和限制在何处出售烟草的严格措施。

　　按销量计算，俄罗斯是世界上第二大烟草市场。为这项法案采用一个快速法律程序的建议，对9月4日的烟草股产生了重大影响。

　　9月3日，控制着俄罗斯市场最大份额的日本烟草公司在东京收市时下跌了4%。在这一天的格林威治时间14:40分，第三大烟草公司英美烟草公司在伦敦下跌了2.2%，而第四大烟草公司帝国烟草公司也下跌了1.7%。

　　9月4日，瑞银集团的分析师说，他们估计，日本烟草公司销售的大约11%、英美烟草公司销售的大约8%，以及帝国烟草公司销售的大约4%，构成了俄罗斯市场。

　　这项法律草案要求立刻将卷烟广告宣布为非法，并且到2015年时，逐步实施公共场所禁烟令和小货亭售烟禁令。

　　尽管目前的提案不包括提高烟草产品税的具体规定——烟税为每包1美元多一点——但提税的可能性已经被广泛讨论过。

　　在一份声明中，帝国烟草公司敦促对烟草征税政策采取“明智的方法”。

　　帝国烟草公司说：“遗憾的是，税务冲击对吸烟者的主要影响是鼓励非法贸易。”

　　英美烟草公司说，尽管它承认有必要对烟草进行立法管理，但它觉得“限制措施应该公正、考虑周全，而且要始终一致。”

　　英美烟草公司说：“他们应该将俄罗斯市场的现实情况加以考虑。否则，他们要么带来意料之外的后果，要么不能达到自己的目标。”

　　日本烟草公司的发言人没有立刻发表评论。

Timeline for Russia's Anti-Smoking Bill Is Delayed

　　A draft bill seeking to dramatically restrict smoking in Russia is unlikely to make its way to parliament before spring 2013, a health ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday.

　　The initial timeline for the bill, which the ministry formally unveiled on Friday, called for the legislation to be reviewed by the government on Oct. 18. In a best-case scenario the bill was to be presented to the State Duma on Nov. 1. Once there, the bill is largely expected to pass.

　　But Russian lawmakers now say the bill will unlikely be heard before the spring session of parliament, because the law requires a series of public hearings and expert panels to be convened first.

　　The draft bill contains strict measures banning smoking in most public places, restricting advertising and limiting where tobacco can be sold.

　　Russia is the world's second-largest tobacco market by volume, and suggestions of a speedy legislative process for the bill weighed heavily on tobacco stocks Tuesday.

　　Japan Tobacco Inc., which controls the largest share of the Russian market, ended off 4% on Monday in Tokyo. British American Tobacco PLC, which is third-largest, was trading down 2.2% at 14:40 GMT in London, and No. 4 player, Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, was similarly down 1.7%.

　　Analysts with UBS said Tuesday that they estimate the Russian market makes up around 11% of Japan Tobacco's sales, 8% of British American's and 4% for Imperial Tobacco.

　　The draft law calls for the immediate outlawing of cigarette advertising and would phase in bans on public smoking and kiosk sales by 2015.

　　While the current proposal doesn't include specific provisions for raising taxes on tobacco products—which cost a little more than $1 a pack—the possibility has been widely discussed.

　　In a statement, Imperial Tobacco urged that "a sensible approach" be taken "to tobacco taxation policy."

　　"Unfortunately, the main impact of tax shocks on smokers is the encouragement of illicit trade," the company said.

　　British American said that while it recognized the need to regulate tobacco, it felt the "restrictions should be justified, well-considered and consistent."

　　"They should take into account the realities of the Russian market. Otherwise they will either bring about unintended consequences or fail to achieve their aim," the company said.

　　A spokesperson for Japan Tobacco had no immediate comment. Enditem