Russia threat to Facebook over alleged smoking-blend advertisements

Russia’s media watchdog has threatened to block Facebook in Russia if an investigation confirms the social-media company featured advertisements for certain smoking blends, according to an RT TV/TV Novosti story quoting Itar-Tass.

The threat apparently came from the country’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media.

“If we find violations in the advertising law, then we will open up an investigation,” the deputy head of the media watchdog, Andrey Kashevarov, was quoted as saying.

“In case narcotics are involved, then we will forward all the materials to the Federal Service for Drug Control.”

The blends were said to have been marketed under trade names including AM-HI-CO, Dream, Spice (Gold, Diamond), Zoom, Ex-ses and Yucatan Fire.

[They] “have been declared to contain Salvia divinorum, Hawaiian Wood Rose and Blue Lotus, and are prohibited from sale,” the story said.

“The substances have been found to have ‘psychotropic, narcotic effects, contain poisonous components and represent potential threat for humans.'”

“They are not marijuana, but can have a similar effect.”