Russia's State Duma will review a bill to ban the sale of e-cigarettes; the deputy speaker of the lower house says all factions unanimously support it

Key points:

·The Russian Duma's autumn session will discuss a comprehensive ban on e-cigarettes. 

·Members of Parliament mentioned that existing laws are not sufficient and that regulations need to be strengthened. 

·President Putin supports experimenting with the law in pilot regions and may implement it first in the Novgorod region within the next two months.

2Firsts, September 10, 2025 - According to NewDay News, the Russian State Duma will begin discussing a bill during its fall session that aims to completely ban e-cigarettes. Deputy Speaker of the lower house, Sholban Kara-ool, stated that despite previous laws in the e-cigarette sector, including fines and criminal liability for selling to minors, these measures still seem "half-hearted".

Karaul emphasized that all factions in the Duma unanimously support a complete ban on e-cigarettes. He stressed that from the first day of the autumn session, they will actively promote the bill's progress and seek support from the national leadership at all stages of the legislation.

Duma members also stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed conducting an experiment in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, giving the region the power to completely ban the sale of e-cigarettes. This measure has been widely accepted and has received support from national leaders.

Earlier, the Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin stated that if the Russian government proposed legislation to ban e-cigarettes, the Duma would prioritize and support it. He noted that this measure has received almost unanimous support from all members of parliament.

At the end of August 2025, Governor Gleb Nikitin of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast suggested to President Putin that federal legislation should be passed to allow regions to completely ban the sale of any tobacco products and e-cigarettes. The region expressed willingness to serve as a pilot program for implementing a comprehensive ban on the retail and wholesale distribution of e-cigarettes. President Putin expressed support for this proposal.

According to additional information from Vologin, the relevant legislation is planned to be passed within the next two months, with the ban as part of the experiment potentially being implemented first in the Novgorod Oblast.