Breathe — don't breathe: vapes want to be banned in all regions of Russia
In Russia, it is proposed to ban the production and sale of vapes at the federal level. Public activists have sent a corresponding initiative to the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance and other departments. They cite an increase in the incidence of cancer among young people as one of the reasons. Now the regions have the right to independently impose restrictions on the sale of vapes, but there is no complete ban in the country. The initiative is supported by the Federation Council and the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, where they consider the current measures insufficient and advocate their extension to the whole country.
Why do they want to ban vapes completely
A ban on the production, import and retail sale of vapes is proposed to be introduced at the federal level. The "Public Consumer Initiative" (OPI) has asked the Government, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health to develop an appropriate bill. The document is at the disposal of "Izvestia". The press service of the Ministry of Finance informed the editorial board that the appeal had been received and would be considered in due course.
Public activists point out that the current regulations, which allow regions to impose restrictions on their territory on their own initiative, do not effectively counteract smoking. At the same time, products can be legally sold in other regions, and then freely move to regions where the ban applies.
Currently, there is no complete ban on the sale of vapes in Russia. In the summer, a law was passed that will allow regions to impose such restrictions on their own starting from March 1, 2027. So, from March 1 of this year, vapes cannot be sold in the Perm Region, and from September 1 — in the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the Republic of North Ossetia — Alania. As previously reported by the media, about a third of Russian regions are considering the possibility of introducing a similar ban. Among them are St. Petersburg, the republics of Altai, Kalmykia, Komi, Yakutia and Chuvashia, Kamchatka and Krasnoyarsk Territories, as well as Astrakhan, Vologda, Irkutsk, Kaluga and other regions. However, there are regions where the introduction of such restrictions is not yet being considered.
"There is a regulatory gap within the country and within the EAEU. Kazakhstan (2024), Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan (2025) have already imposed a total ban on the turnover of electronic cigarettes. The Russian Federation remains the largest jurisdiction in the region that maintains legal turnover, which also creates the risk of using the Russian market as a transshipment hub," the OPI said.
At the same time, public figures express concern about the growing popularity of vapes among Russian youth. According to the document, in 2023-2024, the prevalence of their use among adolescents aged 15-17 reached 27%.
"This cohort will enter the age of realization of health and disability risks in the 2050s and 2060s, during the period of the most acute demographic burden for the country. For every ruble of fiscal revenue from excise taxes on liquids for medical devices, the budget system and the country's economy will suffer more serious medical, macroeconomic and other losses," the cabinet said in an appeal.
Also in the document, they point to the latest joint study by scientists from seven Western universities, who concluded that the use of such e-cigarettes is highly carcinogenic and provokes the growth and development of oral cancer and lung cancer.
— According to official data from Rosstat, published this summer, over the past four years, the increase in cancer among young people has been 25%. These are very dangerous numbers. Therefore, we believe that the situation around the turnover of vapes and electronic nicotine delivery systems in Russia has reached a critical point that requires decisive and uncompromising measures," Oleg Pavlov, head of the OPI, explained to "Izvestia".
According to him, today such dangerous products are freely sold, although the composition of the liquids used in them is often not checked in any way.
— We have already started working on a package of proposals to introduce specific amendments to federal legislation aimed at a complete ban on such products. In the near future, it will be sent to the authorized state authorities, including the relevant committees of both chambers of the Federal Assembly and relevant ministries," the head of the OPI said.
"Izvestia" was informed by the government's press service that the appeal had been received and sent for consideration to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Health.
"Izvestia" sent requests to the departments asking for comments on the prospects for supporting a complete ban on the turnover of vapes in Russia.
When can a complete ban on vaping be established?
The initiative to introduce a complete ban on the turnover of electronic cigarettes throughout Russia is supported by the Federation Council and the State Duma Committee on Health Protection.
— The right of regions to independently ban the sale of vapes is an important step, and a number of subjects have already used it. The next logical step to strive for is a unified federal solution," Senator Alexander Lutovinov, a member of the rules Committee, told "Izvestia".
According to him, the general ban will exclude the movement of products from one subject to another and will relieve additional burden from control bodies in certain regions.
This opinion is shared by his colleagues in the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure, regional policy, local self-government and Northern Affairs.
— Unfortunately, e-cigarettes have become a mass-market product among teenagers. At the same time, recent medical studies and cases from practice confirm that nicotine—containing electronic cigarettes are carcinogenic to humans, and also cause a number of serious lung diseases," Oleg Golov, a representative of the committee, told Izvestia, who also believes that the regional ban should be scaled up to the federal level as soon as possible."
According to Alexey Kurinny, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, the biggest problem is that vapes have become fashionable among young people, among whom the number of people using them is growing exponentially.
— Now in Russia, half-measures have been taken to limit their turnover. They are unlikely to be effective, as they will lead solely to the redistribution of markets and illegal sales in those regions where the ban has been introduced," he believes.
If the majority of the EAEU member states decide to completely ban the turnover of electronic cigarettes, Russia will also have to comply with this requirement, whether it concerns vapes or some other goods, Georgy Ostapkovich, head of the HSE Center for Market Research, told "Izvestia". According to him, electronic cigarettes do not bring much revenue to the federal budget, so there will be no big financial losses. At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that if there is a generally accepted global trend to fight for the preservation of human health, then it will be difficult to go against it without reputational losses.
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