The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, plans to include a bill banning the retail sale of vapes and related liquids in Russia in its approximate work plan for March 2025, according to a draft resolution from the Duma's health protection committee obtained by TASS.
The proposed legislation, introduced by representatives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), seeks to amend the law "On Protecting the Health of Citizens from the Effects of Ambient Tobacco Smoke, the Consequences of Tobacco Consumption or the Consumption of Nicotine-Containing Products."
State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin referred the document to the relevant committee after its submission. The draft resolution states, "To propose to the State Duma Council to include the said draft federal law in the approximate program of legislative work during the spring session of 2025 (March)."
The bill aims to prohibit the wholesale and retail trade of "nicotine (including that obtained by synthesis) or its derivatives, including nicotine salts, as well as nicotine-containing and nicotine-free liquids and devices for their consumption." The authors of the bill emphasize that devices for consuming nicotine-containing and nicotine-free liquids pose a significant threat to health, causing addiction, serious respiratory diseases, and increased risks of cardiovascular and oncological diseases.
Moreover, the bill's sponsors argue that young people who consume "vapes" are more likely to transition to traditional tobacco smoking with all its negative health consequences. They view the establishment of a complete ban on the sale of such products as a necessary measure to improve public health, noting that similar practices exist in many developed countries worldwide.
As the Russian State Duma prepares to consider the bill banning vape sales, industry stakeholders and public health advocates will closely monitor its progress and potential impact on the vaping market and public health in the country.
