Russian Vape Industry Proposes State Monopoly on E-Liquid Production as Alternative to Ban

Key Takeaways

• Opora Russia sent a letter to Denis Manturov on March 30 opposing a ban on e-cigarettes and related liquids in Russia.
• Business groups oppose bans on electronic nicotine delivery systems and their liquids at both the federal and regional levels.
• Russia is considering allowing regions to impose vape sales restrictions, with a trial period proposed from March 1, 2027 to March 1, 2032.
• Industry representatives said about 20,000 retail outlets in Russia currently sell ENDS products.
• As an alternative, an industry group proposed a state monopoly on the production of nicotine base liquid.

2Firsts, April 1, 2026 

According to Kommersant, Russian business groups are working through Opora Russia and industry associations to persuade the authorities to abandon plans to ban the sale of e-cigarettes and related liquids at both the federal and regional levels.

Business groups say a vape ban would create risks greater than any likely regulatory effect

In a letter sent by Opora Russia to First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on March 30, the business community said that banning electronic nicotine delivery systems and their liquids would create economic, legal and political risks that would significantly exceed any possible regulatory effect.

Kirill Kuznetsov, chairman of Opora Russia’s excisable goods committee, said the organisation opposes any bans that could force a substantial number of entrepreneurs out of the market. He said about 20,000 retail outlets in Russia currently sell ENDS products and added that it would be inappropriate to fragment the country’s economic space through separate regional initiatives.

Russia is considering both regional vape ban trials and broader restrictions

The report said restrictions on vape sales in Russia have been under discussion since the summer of 2025. In August 2025, Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor Gleb Nikitin proposed giving regions the right to introduce such measures independently, and President Vladimir Putin supported the idea. In March 2026, Denis Manturov said several ministries had been tasked with working on a ban on the circulation of ENDS in Russia.

At present, the possibility of allowing regions to ban ENDS sales is planned as part of second-reading amendments to the law on licensing wholesale and retail tobacco trade. The report said this experiment is expected to run from March 1, 2027 to March 1, 2032. In regions that do not use the right to impose a ban, the issue would instead be addressed through retail licensing measures.

The report also said that the regional-ban option is seen as a compromise, with the alternative being a total nationwide ban on ENDS circulation. Russia’s State Commission on Countering Illegal Industrial Product Turnover had previously supported the full-ban scenario.

Industry group proposes state monopoly on e-liquid production instead of a ban

Dmitry Vladimirov, director of the Union of Participants in the Circulation of Nicotine-Containing Products, said a total ban has no proven effectiveness but carries direct risks for consumers and the budget.

In its letter to Manturov, Opora Russia referred to Vietnam’s 2025 strict ban on ENDS and their liquids, which it said pushed sales into illegal channels, and to Kazakhstan’s 2024 vape ban, which it said created similar problems. Business representatives also said that the absence of significant restrictions on ENDS sales in neighboring countries such as Belarus would add further risk for the Russian market.

Image source: Yevgeny Razumny / Kommersant

Further reading:

2FIRSTS | Special Report｜Russia scales back anti-vaping drive, limits ban to single-region trial

After months of debate, Russian lawmakers have retreated from plans for a nationwide vaping ban, opting instead for a single-region pilot. The shift reflects pressure from business groups and fiscal authorities, amid warnings that sweeping prohibitions could fuel illegal trade while undermining efforts to regulate the market.

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