Russia Introduces Bill to Ban Sales of E-cigarettes

According to media reports from URA.RU, Russian lawmaker Yaroslav Nilov has announced that a comprehensive bill banning the sale of e-cigarettes in the country has been submitted to the government and will be presented again to the State Duma after review.

Nikolov stated, "We are aware that the ban will result in the cessation of some revenue generated from budget planning, but we believe that the citizens' health is of greater importance. Therefore, we will continue to push for the implementation of a comprehensive ban." This bill was first introduced two years ago and has now been resubmitted to the government for evaluation. It will be further deliberated by the State Duma.

The bill clearly states that despite existing restrictive measures on the sale of e-cigarettes, these measures can be easily circumvented, leading to cases of underage individuals purchasing e-cigarettes. Thus, the bill proposes a complete ban on the sale of e-cigarettes. While implementing the ban may result in an increase in illegal circulation of e-cigarettes, the bill emphasizes that law enforcement agencies should address this issue.

In April of this year, the Russian State Duma increased fines for the sale of nicotine-containing products, including e-cigarettes, to minors. Vyacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the State Duma, had previously called for a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. Subsequently, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the corresponding legislation.