The State Duma proposed giving teachers the right to withdraw vapes from schoolchildren

The State Duma proposed giving teachers the right to withdraw vapes from schoolchildren. This follows from a draft law by the head of the Committee for the Development of Civil Society, Yana Lantratova, and the leader of the Fair Russia — For Truth faction, Sergei Mironov, which will be submitted to the State Duma on June 10.

"The problem of the use of tobacco, nicotine—containing products and electronic nicotine delivery systems (vapes) by minors remains one of the most acute in the educational environment," says the explanatory note to the bill, which is available to Izvestia.

According to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 10.1% of schoolchildren aged 13-17 smoked regularly in 2019, and in some regions the figure exceeds 15%. Research by educators and doctors shows a steady increase in the popularity of electronic nicotine delivery systems: more than half of the surveyed teenagers noted the availability of vapes in their places of residence, the note says.

During school hours, especially during recess, restrooms often turn out to be filled with groups of students who covertly use electronic devices to inhale nicotine vapor. This creates queues, worsens the sanitary condition and prevents other children from visiting bathrooms normally, lawmakers say.

The draft federal law supplements article 41 of the Law on Education with a new part eight, according to which, in order to protect the life and health of students, prevent and prevent their use of alcohol, tobacco and nicotine-containing products, a teacher has the right to temporarily seize the specified substances (products) in the student's possession before the arrival of the legal representative of a minor student or an authorized official.

"With the new amendment, we propose to give teachers this right — to temporarily seize nicotine-containing, tobacco, and alcoholic products found in students until the arrival of parents or the police. There is a clear ban on the use of such products in schools, there should be zero tolerance for this, and teachers should have the right to immediately stop it," Mironov explained.

According to Lantratova, toilets often become a place of secret smoking, creating not only queues, but also a threat to the health of other children. There are already laws prohibiting smoking in schools, but in practice, teachers face a serious gap: they do not have the right to withdraw vapes or cigarettes from students. As a result, the prohibited items remain with the child, and contacting the police delays the process and reduces the educational effect, Lantratova believes.

According to her, the bill gives teachers the right to temporarily seize tobacco and nicotine-containing products until parents or law enforcement officials arrive. This will make it possible to quickly stop violations, free schools from group smoking and make the educational environment safer, the deputy noted.

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On January 28, the Federation Council approved a law on fines of up to 2 million rubles for selling vapes and tobacco to children. In case of non-compliance with restrictions on the sale of tobacco products by retail workers, a fine of 10 thousand to 20 thousand rubles is provided for citizens, from 30 thousand to 50 thousand rubles for officials and from 90 thousand to 120 thousand rubles for legal entities.