Russian Government Supports Increasing Fines for Selling Tobacco to Children

According to a report by TASS on April 1st, the Russian government is in favor of increasing fines for selling cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco products to minors, but is requesting modifications to the proposal.

The proposer of the bill, Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, stated that some salespeople are willing to take the risk of punishment in order to make money. Currently, fines for individuals selling tobacco to children are 60,000 rubles ($648), officials can be fined up to 300,000 rubles ($3,240), and companies can be fined up to 600,000 rubles ($6,480).

Srutski believes that current penalties are not strict enough, so he has proposed strengthening punishments for illegal behavior. If the bill is passed, individuals could face fines of up to 200,000 rubles (2160 USD), officials up to 400,000 rubles (4320 USD), and companies up to 800,000 rubles (8640 USD). If fines are not paid, the organization's activities could be suspended for up to 90 days.

The Russian cabinet stated that any increase in fines should be based on statistical data and other objective information, but such information was not included in the explanatory notes of the law. Overall, the cabinet expressed its support for the bill.