Russia Proposed Legislation to Completely Ban E-Cigarettes Sales

According to a report by TASS on April 9, four major political parties in Russia, including the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, "A Just Russia - For the Truth," and "New People," have jointly proposed legislation to completely ban the sale of e-cigarettes, whether they contain nicotine or not, in Russia.

The draft clearly prohibits the retail sale of products containing nicotine or its derivatives, including nicotine salts, as well as e-liquids containing nicotine and those without nicotine, along with related products. According to the main drafter of the legislation, Yaroslav Nilov (LDPR), in an interview with TASS, signatures and consultations in support of the bill are currently being collected, and it is expected to be submitted to the Russian State Duma for review in the near future.

The author of the bill cited data in the article showing that, as of 2023, the number of adolescents using e-cigarettes has increased tenfold compared to 2011. The article also notes that while e-cigarettes are promoted as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, "it will cause irreparable damage to the health of smokers and those around smokers." Additionally, both e-cigarette users and traditional cigarette smokers will develop nicotine dependence.

The authors of the bill pointed out that even e-liquids without nicotine are harmful, as they are composed of glycerin, propylene glycol, flavorings, and thickeners. They also warned that each of these substances could potentially cause serious lung diseases when inhaled in vapor form. In addition, they reminded that even though there are already some restrictions in the e-cigarette industry in Russia, such as prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, selling nicotine products with added flavorings and other additives, displaying and demonstrating nicotine consumption devices in public places, and selling e-cigarettes and accessories in markets, exhibitions, and remotely.

However, they believe that these bans "can easily be circumvented, and minors can still purchase e-cigarettes."

Finally, the author of the bill stressed that "in order to protect the people, we believe it is necessary to comprehensively ban the sale of e-cigarettes at the federal level. While this ban may lead to losses in the federal budget, protecting the health of the nation, especially the youth, is more important for the future of our country. As for the potential increase in the risk of illegal e-cigarette trade, this is a matter that law enforcement agencies will need to address."