MOSCOW, December 1 (RAPSI) – The State Council of Tatarstan has submitted a bill to the State Duma to prohibit the retail and wholesale trade of sucking tobacco (snus), according to the lower house’s website for pending legislation.

The bill would introduce fines of between 2,000 and 4,000 rubles ($43-$86) for individuals, 7,000 to 12,000 rubles ($150-$260) for officials, and 40,000 to 60,000 rubles ($860-$1,290) for legal entities.

The regional authorities would have the right to introduce additional restrictions on trade in smokeless tobacco products, including a ban on retail sales.

The bill was drafted to further reduce smoking and to prevent the proliferation of new smokeless tobacco products in Russia.

Snus is a form of smokeless tobacco product. It is placed under the upper lip for extended periods. Snus is not fermented and contains no added sugar, but tobacco content in one portion of snus is approximately five times greater than in a cigarette.

According to polls of adults, about 654,000 people or 1.5 percent of smokers use smokeless tobacco in Russia.

The production and sale of smokeless tobacco in the EU was prohibited in 2001. India prohibited the sale of smokeless tobacco in 2003, although using smokeless tobacco is a longtime tradition. In 2004, serious restrictions were placed on the sale and use of naswar (a moist, powdered tobacco snuff similar to dipping tobacco or snus) in Turkmenistan. In January 2010, the sale of naswar, snus and other chewing products that include tobacco, lime or other non-tobacco products was prohibited in Belarus.