Russian Lawmaker Says Bill on Full Vape Sales Ban Is Before State Duma

Key Takeaways

• A bill proposing a full ban on vape sales is currently before Russia’s State Duma.
• Yaroslav Nilov said a final decision has not yet been made.
• The initiative has been signed by representatives of almost all parliamentary factions.
• Nilov said vape use in Russia is increasing while the age of consumers is falling.
• He also said vapes are excisable goods, meaning a full ban would reduce budget revenue and could push sales into the shadow market.

2Firsts, March 12, 2026 

According to RIA Novosti, Yaroslav Nilov, chair of the State Duma Committee on Labour, Social Policy and Veterans’ Affairs, said in an interview with the outlet that a bill on a full ban on vape sales is currently before the State Duma, but a final decision has not yet been made.

Nilov said, “Before it is too late, vapes need to be stopped. This draft law is in the State Duma. It is an initiative signed by representatives of almost all factions, but the decision has not yet been finalized. We can already see that even at the governor level, former Kaliningrad Region Governor Anton Alikhanov, now Minister of Industry and Trade, openly supported the position of a full ban. Governor Gleb Nikitin in Nizhny Novgorod Region also raised this issue publicly in a meeting with the president.”

In his view, Russia will come to this sooner or later.

Nilov said that vapes today are clearly no longer just devices for delivering nicotine. He said they are sophisticated, smart gadgets that create a certain dependence. He added that artificial intelligence might soon be integrated into them, making them increasingly difficult to combat.

He stressed that the number of vapes being used in Russia is increasing, while the age of consumers is decreasing.

He said, “Therefore, before it is too late, a full stop needs to be put to the vape issue. But vapes are excisable goods, and this is part of budget revenue. These are major lost revenues. Of course, there is a risk that vapes will go into the shadow market and continue to be sold. But unfortunately, today this so-called civilised regulation is not producing results.”

Image Source: RIA Novosti