The head of the Ministry of Labor criticized the proposal to increase the working day for smokers

The Ministry of Health should focus on the reform of compulsory medical insurance (compulsory medical insurance), and not regulate the length of the working day of smokers. This was announced to reporters by the head of the Ministry of Labor Maxim Topilin, Interfax reports.

“I believe that the Ministry of Health should deal with the reform of compulsory medical insurance, and not the reform of labor legislation,” he said, commenting on the offer of the Ministry of Health to increase the working day for smoking employees.

The proposal to increase the duration of the working day for smokers is contained in the anti -tobacco concept developed by the Ministry of Health for 2017–2022. It also proposes other measures aimed at reducing tobacco consumption among the population.

In particular, the Ministry of Health proposed to introduce a continuous increase in tobacco rates to the levels now accepted in the European Union, as well as introduce a tax on retail sale of cigarettes in the amount of 10% of their price.

Also in the concept of the Ministry of Health, it is proposed to completely ban the sale of tobacco to people born in 2015 and later after they reached the age of majority.