Cigarette smoke is an inseparable companion of anyone traveling across countries of the former Soviet Union. Everyone smokes everywhere: on the streets, in restaurants, internet caffés, government buildings and private offices, even on public transport. The country leading in this bad habit is Armenia, where tobacco products are the third (!) most important imported goods, right after gas and petrol.

This, however, is not the situation in Turkmenistan, where it is difficult to find a single “no smoking” sign, because everyone knows that it is strictly forbidden. Smoking in public places and even in private cars was banned by the former president Saparmurat Niyazov back in January 2000. The imposition of such a strict ban is not as interesting as the fact that everybody obeys it. A person smoking a cigarette would stir a sensation, especially if it is a foreigner. People would approach that individual, fearfully asking him to put out the cigarette, because he risks getting into trouble if noticed by a policeman. Heavy smokers hide in the bushes of Ashgabat parks, thoroughly burying their cigarette butts in the sand. It is also interesting that nobody questions the rightness of the ban, explaining it by the president’s concern about people’s health. Who knows better than HIM what is best for the nation? Every tyrant would be happy to rule such a disciplined people.

Occasional rebels later bitterly regret their deed. Transportation Minister Ashirgeldy Zamanov was one of them. In April 2007, he got caught smoking, which was immediately reported to the president. Berdymukhammedov decided to exemplarily punish the minister and issued an appropriate directive in that matter. Not only did the minister lose face, but also one month’s salary. The justification of the punishment of the minister was even more curious. He was accused not only of the violation of the smoking ban, but also of committing an act which “does not become a leader”. It turns out that smoking can not only ruin a man’s health, but also his career. It is not easy to be a smoker in Turkmenistan…