Total vape ban coming – Russia’s top MP

The decision could be made within the next two months, according to State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin

Russian lawmakers will draft a bill to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes, also known as vapes, and related liquids, within the next couple of months, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin has announced.

In a post on the Russian Max platform on Saturday, he argued that “vapes and other electronic cigarettes are harmful to human health and can lead to severe illnesses.” 

On Friday, Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor Gleb Nikitin asked President Vladimir Putin to grant local authorities the power to impose region-wide bans on vapes. Putin supported the idea.

The proposal echoes several previous initiatives put forward by other regional heads, as well as parents and school teachers.

According to Volodin, even though a law banning the sale of electronic cigarettes and nicotine-containing liquids to minors was adopted back in 2023, “we see that these measures are not enough” to curb the practice.

Advocating a blanket ban on vapes in June, Volodin argued that “vape liquids contain heavy metals, and toxic compounds,” and insisted that their harmful effects are beyond doubt.

A 2023 SuperJob poll indicated a considerable rise in the use of electronic cigarettes among the Russian population in recent years, with 21% estimated to be using exclusively vapes, and another 16% alternating between electronic and traditional cigarettes.

That same year, RIA Novosti reported that between 3.5 and 4 million Russians were using electronic nicotine delivery systems.

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