On April 12th, 2FIRSTS conducted an exclusive interview with Lev Grigoriev, the Director of Public Relations for Babylon & Vardex, a leading electronic cigarette distributor in Russia, regarding the Russian State Duma's proposed legislation for regulating electronic cigarettes.
Grigoryev is the Chairman of a professional alliance of market participants in Russia, as well as a member of the National Duma Tobacco and Nicotine Product Market Competition Expert Committee of the Russian Federal Committee. From 2004 to 2015, he served as the CEO of the MEGAPOLIS Group and has had a lengthy focus on research in the tobacco sector in Russia.
Lev Grigoriev | Image source: Provided by interviewee
A complete ban on e-cigarette flavors has not been instituted. However, a list of prohibited substances will be released before September 1st.
In response to the most pressing market concern, has the "proposal" passed by the Russian State Duma banned "electronic cigarette flavors"? Grigoriev told 2FIRSTS that Federal Law No. 332229-8 passed by the Russian State Duma has not completely banned flavored electronic cigarettes. This law stipulates that:
The Russian government has the authority to determine a list of substances aimed at increasing the appeal of such products and/or enhancing the addictiveness of nicotine, and any products containing these substances cannot be sold. By September 1, 2023, there will be a clear list of banned substances for e-cigarette oils.
According to a translation by 2FIRSTS, the proposal to amend certain legislation in the Russian Federation, passed by the State Duma, does not completely ban electronic cigarette flavors.
Grigoryev reiterated that if Russia were to ban flavored e-cigarettes, it would be an "incredible" situation and have a huge impact on the e-cigarette market. "Russia will have no e-cigarette market. The market will become completely illegal and shrink by about half.
The probability of Russia implementing a ban on flavors imitating those in China is extremely low.
The Public Relations Director of BABYLON&VARDEX, Lev Grigoriev, has been pictured with 2FIRSTS' Vice President for the Russian region, Xu Minghao.
He believes that if Russian regulatory agencies were to adopt similar policies to China, which only prohibit flavors other than tobacco and mint, the e-cigarette market would shrink by about 75%, with approximately 25% remaining legal and 25% becoming illegal. However, he thinks it is unlikely that Russia will adopt such policies.
There is still room for maneuver on additive bans.
Furthermore, Gregoriev from 2FIRSTS stated that the ban on additives is not set in stone and there is still some room for negotiation before it becomes effective. Industry experts will be involved in discussions with the government about this matter.
Industry experts will continue to discuss the specifics of the ban with the Russian government, leaving room for potential changes.
As the leading e-cigarette distributor in Russia, BABYLON&VARDEX is also paying attention to regulatory policy changes. However, the company has not made any changes in procurement yet, and will only respond when a ban is officially implemented, for example, when approaching September 1, 2023. "If a ban is implemented, we will handle the inventory for sale.
Topic: Progress and expert analysis of Russian ban on flavored electronic cigarettes (click on the image below for more information).
Related Reading:
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Timeline and Background of Russian Taste Ban: Bill Passes Three Readings in One Day
Expert Analysis Series:
Expert analysis 1: Russia's ban on flavored e-cigarettes includes all products, with exact additive standards yet to be disclosed.
Expert analysis 2: Russia sets minimum retail price for e-cigarette products in order to reduce demand for nicotine products.
Expert analysis 3: Russia proposes ban on online sales and offline display of e-cigarettes, effective from June 1st.
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