Key Points
- Finance Ministry proposes regional authority to impose vape bans from 2026–2031.
- Violating retailers and suppliers face license revocation.
- Putin and Minister Alikhanov both support total prohibition.
- Multiple regions already moving to tighten regulations.
- Russia’s 2025 vape market valued at ₽250 billion (≈ USD 2.7 billion), up 51.9%.
2Firsts, December 8, 2025 – According to RBC, the Russian Finance Ministry has drafted amendments that would allow regional authorities to impose retail bans on vapes and e-liquids between September 1, 2026, and September 1, 2031. To enact a ban, each region must pass a local law and notify Rosalkogoltabakkontrol, which will maintain and publish a list of regions implementing restrictions.
Under the proposal, stores violating the ban would lose their tobacco retail licenses, while manufacturers or suppliers providing vapes or liquids to such retailers would also have their licenses revoked.
President Vladimir Putin publicly endorsed the idea of a nationwide vape ban in early November, emphasizing full government support. Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov, a father of multiple children, also voiced strong backing for a “total prohibition.”
Regions such as Nizhny Novgorod, Vologda, Saratov, Altai Republic, and Dagestan have already taken steps toward enforcement. In the Vologda region, 168 of 316 vape shops were shut down as of June 2025.
According to consulting firm NeoAnalytics, Russia’s e-cigarette market reached ₽250 billion (about USD 2.7 billion) in 2025, a 51.9% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of traditional cigarette smokers fell by 42.2%, and e-cigarette users nearly tripled.
Image source: RBK
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