Russia’s Public Chamber official opposes “generational ban” on tobacco sales, citing rights concerns

Key Takeaways

• Speaker: Vladislav Grib, deputy secretary of Russia’s Public Chamber

• Position: opposes birth-year restrictions on cigarette sales; says they do not solve smoking and violate rights

• Rationale: older people would buy and share; society would be divided into “two types” of citizens

• Russia context: State Duma proposals have targeted cohorts born after 2009, 2015 or 2017

• International references: UK bill proposal, U.S. local bans, and attempts in New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia

2Firsts, January 8, 2026 – According to TASS, Vladislav Grib, deputy secretary of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, said a so-called “generational ban” on cigarette sales would not solve smoking and would instead lead to human rights violations.

Grib said he opposes gradually banning cigarette sales to people born after a certain year, arguing the problem would not be solved because those born earlier would buy cigarettes and share them. He described such ideas as untenable and said they would create two categories of citizens: one for whom it is prohibited and harmful, and another for whom it is allowed and not harmful. He added that similar practices exist abroad but, in his view, they violate human rights by segregating people based on whether they were “lucky” in their birth year.

The report says the State Duma has repeatedly proposed banning the sale of tobacco products to people born after 2009, 2015 or 2017. Such initiatives envisage that people born after a certain date would never be able to purchase tobacco and nicotine-containing products, as well as devices used to consume them.

The report also references international examples. It says the UK government submitted a bill to parliament in October 2023 proposing a ban on cigarette sales to citizens born after January 1, 2009. Despite strong criticism, the bill passed first reading in April 2024, but further consideration was postponed after the Conservatives lost elections to Labour.

In the U.S., the report says “generational” restrictions operate through local government decisions. The Boston suburb of Brookline was cited as the first to introduce such a ban, prohibiting sales of tobacco products, including vapes and e-cigarettes, to those born after January 1, 2000 from November 2020. Similar laws were later adopted by several other cities in the state. 

The report adds that attempts were made in New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia, but local authorities ultimately abandoned those initiatives.

Image Source: TASS