Russian tobacco firms have sent an open letter to President Putin voicing their opposition to the proposal to set a minimum price for tobacco products. The country’s four largest Russian cigarette and tobacco manufacturers – Pogarska, Donskoy Tabak, United Tobacco Factor , Usman Tobaco and the Baltic Tobacco Company – say that a minimum price would have a “detrimental impact on the domestic tobacco industry and would lead to “ the destruction of competition.” The bill proposing a base price of RUB55 for a packet of cigarettes was tabled at the Duma last month. Vedomosti