 From VOA Learning English, this is the health report in special English. Hundreds of thousands of Russians die every year from diseases linked to smoking. The country has one of the highest smoking rates in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that 40% of adults in Russia smoke. That is about 44 million people. The WHO says China leads the world in tobacco smoking rates. It says Russia is second. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev recently made an effort to reduce the number of smokers in his country. He proposed a ban on smoking in public places by 2015. And a ban on all tobacco advertising. And he proposed to increase the country's very low cigarette taxes. In Russia, a pack of cigarettes can cost between $1 and $2. Mr. Medvedev appeared in an internet video about the issue. He said Russians must stop smoking. He said about 90% of Russian smokers begin smoking before they reach the age of 20. He said smoking kills about 400,000 people in Russia each year. He compared the loss of life to a large city disappearing from the country's map. The Prime Minister also warned about the way smoking kills. He described long and painful deaths from cancer or emphysema, as well as sudden deaths from heart attack and stroke. Still, smoking continues to grow in some groups. The number of Russian women who smoke has increased sharply in the past 20 years. In 1992, about 7% of Russian women smoked, 22% do now. Yet approval from the upper and lower houses of parliament may not limit Russian smoking. Many experts say the government does not have enforcement power to put the law into effect. For VOA Learning English, I'm Mario Ritter.