Russia's Vologda Region Proposes Total E-Cigarette Ban, Aims to Mimic Alcohol Controls

Key points:

The government of Russia's Voronezh Oblast plans to completely ban the sale of e-cigarettes, tobacco hybrids, and nicotine-containing products in response to the problem of teenage abuse.

The governor defined the products as "racially genocidal weapons targeting the public," particularly harmful to young people.

Currently, the region is unable to directly implement a ban on sales, as the state government is working to push for federal authorization to be delegated to local authorities.

Local legislative bodies have submitted relevant bills to the national Duma, aiming to expand regional control over the retail of tobacco and e-cigarettes.

Volgograd Oblast has implemented a strict regulatory model in the alcohol sales sector and plans to expand this approach to products such as e-cigarettes.

According to a report from TASS on May 6th, the government of Russia's Volgograd Region plans to implement a comprehensive ban on the retail sale of e-cigarettes and nicotine-containing products throughout the entire region.

Governor Georgy Filimonov stated in an interview with RBK that various e-cigarettes, tobacco mixes, and vaping devices pose a serious health risk to the public, referring to them as "weapons of genocide against the people, especially young people.

Phelimono pointed out that the regulatory authority in the e-cigarette market has not yet been decentralized from the federal level to local governments, so compliance checks at stores can only be done on a case-by-case basis. He stated that these products will be regulated like alcohol retail, but this can only happen if legislative permission is obtained.

Filimonov revealed that the legislative bodies of the Volgda region have submitted related bills to the national Duma, intending to grant local governments greater power to implement regulatory measures such as retail time limits, sales conditions, and complete bans on the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes within their local jurisdictions.

He added that he has discussed this issue with the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, on multiple occasions and has received his support.

Philimonov emphasized, "Our goal is to obtain the same authority as the alcohol market regulators."

The alcohol sales restrictions in Volgograd Oblast, which came into effect on March 1, 2025, limit sales to Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 14:00. On weekends and certain holidays (including February 23, March 8, May 9, and the New Year holiday), sales are allowed from 8:00 to 23:00. Additionally, the restrictions have expanded the dates throughout the year when alcohol sales are prohibited.