Russia Won't Ban E-Cigarettes, Says Inspector

Inspectors stated that Russia will not ban electronic cigarettes and vaping.

Public watchdog Igor Kosarev has stated that electronic cigarette manufacturers in Russia are concerned that a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes may be premature. According to Kosarev, the government does not support the ban. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade were the first to express opposition to the bill, while the Russian Ministry of Health, which had originally been in favor of the ban, may now change its position and oppose the passage of the law.

The Ministry of Finance has drafted a bill for further regulation of the sale of electronic cigarette devices, which is currently being submitted to the State Duma. According to Kosarev, the bill does not prohibit the sale of liquid nicotine and e-cigarettes, but it provides detailed regulations for various aspects of their commercial turnover.

Earlier, Dr. Vladimir Zaicev, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, warned that the danger of e-cigarettes is that smokers often believe they are safe. Experts note that using e-cigarettes can inevitably lead to deteriorating health. According to Dr. Zaicev, tumors may develop in the body of e-cigarette users without their knowledge.

The ban on e-cigarettes by the LDPR party (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia) could potentially cause irreversible damage to the Russian economy.

Electronic cigarettes accounted for approximately 22.1% of total tobacco product sales revenue, amounting to 37.4 billion rubles.

Since March 2020, the Russian economy has been facing severe challenges such as lockdowns, restrictions, and layoffs, leading to significant impact on the country's financial system.

However, representatives of the LDPR party seem to not be concerned about these issues. They have submitted a bill to the State Duma calling for a complete ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes and nicotine-containing liquids within the territory of the Russian Federation.

The ban on electronic cigarettes could cause a loss of at least 30 billion rubles to the Russian budget (excluding revenue from consumption tax and sales of nicotine-containing liquids).

According to experts, as of now, the market value of electronic nicotine delivery systems, tobacco heating systems, and e-cigarettes in 2022 is approximately 25 billion rubles. In previous years, the total annual sales ranged from 62 to 70 billion rubles. ESDN products account for 22.1% of the total sales of tobacco products, equivalent to 37.4 billion rubles.

2FIRSTS will continue to monitor the situation.

To learn more, click: Russia's "12-year-old boy dies from e-cigarette use" case takes a turn as the national Duma Committee debates the ban on e-cigarettes.

Source: Sibinfo | News.ru

Editor: Wang Siyu