A law that banned smoking in Russia took effect on June 1, barring citizens from lighting up on public transportation, university campuses and in hospitals.
The third largest tobacco market in the world also threw out any advertisements bearing images of smokers. Russian-made movies will no longer feature characters puffing away-even cartoons like Gena, the pipe-smoking animated crocodile, have gotten the boot.
According to TIME, the legislation aims to encourage the nation's 55 percent of men and 16 percent of women who currently smoke daily to scale back on the nicotine.
But how effective will it be? Can such a law truly prevent 200,000 deaths a year, as promised? TIME took a look at the efficacy of other countries' smoking bans, and how the legislation ultimately ended up.
China
China rivals Russia in terms of numbers: the Asian nation also holds the title for one-third of the world's smokers. Officials knew it would be tough to stamp the butts out, but first tried in May 2006, when lawmakers revealed that the Beijing Olympics would be smoke-free, TIME reported. Lighting up was prohibited at all hospitals and on public transportation. Five years later, the government also lobbied for a bill that banned all cigarette smoking at indoor public places.
It seems the legislation fell flat, however, as the ban was not well-enforced-not to mention the officials in charge of running the show were also in cahoots with the world's largest cigarette corporation, the China National Tobacco Corp.
United States
The United States' various smoking laws lie within a state's jurisdiction. 48 percent of U.S. citizens are currently forbidden from smoking at indoor public venues. But places like Las Vegas casinos and Nashville, Tennessee bars still allow patrons to light up.
Researchers claim that since most states banned smoking, (California being the first to enact a statewide ban in 1995), there has been a drastic drop in tobacco-related hospitalization and disease. Some anti-tobacco groups are currently pushing for outdoor bans in a few U.S. states as well.
Ireland
Ireland was the first country that instated a nationwide smoking ban in offices and other workplaces, following a law passed in 1988 forbidding smoking in public venues.
Research from 2005 tells of a 17 percent drop in respiratory issues, according to TIME. 88 percent of former smokers said the legislation helped keep them off the nicotine. Additionally, the cleaner air quality helped prevent around 3,700 deaths that year.
