Russia Considers Tougher Penalties for Illegal Tobacco Sales

According to the Russian news outlet "News Report," multiple departments will review enhanced penalties for the illegal sale of traditional and electronic cigarettes in 2023.

Despite Russia's ban on online sales of tobacco products, tobacco manufacturers have been disregarding the prohibition.

According to the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the government will discuss this matter.

The Economic Policy Committee of the Russian State Duma believes that a penalty of 3% of annual sales revenue should be imposed on the sale of tobacco products over the internet. The current administrative penalties are considered too lenient for online marketplaces.

It is reported that currently, the highest fine for companies is 50,000 rubles (approximately 4,595 RMB), and for individuals it is 3,000 rubles (approximately 275.7 RMB). Experts believe that these amounts are insignificant.

Online retailers frequently ignore this ban and sell tobacco products on the internet. The largest online shopping platforms Wildberries, Ozon, and Yandex Market state that they do not trade in tobacco-related products online. However, some products on their websites are similar to electronic cigarettes. In the product descriptions, sellers claim that these products do not contain nicotine. Buyers must provide age information to purchase these products, but the reliability of this information cannot be controlled.

In mid-January, the Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, instructed the relevant committees to study the situation regarding electronic cigarettes and to propose recommendations on a possible ban.

References:

Smoky business: Marketplaces to face stricter punishment for selling cigarettes.