E-cigarettes in Russia

Russia: Members of the parliamentary cross-party working group on protecting the health of citizens from alcohol, drug and tobacco are planning to submit a bill to prohibit the sale of nicotine-containing products to people born after 2010, media reports. The current legal framework includes heated tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids under the definition of nicotine-containing products.

Russia: State Duma member Sultan Khamzaev, head of the federal Sober Russia project, has proposed banning QR codes, web addresses and promotion of corporate social media accounts from the packaging of tobacco and nicotine-containing products, media reports. Advertising of tobacco and nicotine-containing products is prohibited in Russia.

Russia: Members of the State Duma have proposed a moratorium on mandatory traceability labelling of goods until 1st January 2028, media reports. If adopted, this would affect the traceability labelling of heated tobacco consumables, which become mandatory on 1st March. It might also delay the future mandatory labelling of e-liquids, cartridges and closed e-cigarette systems, which are currently subject to a voluntary traceability labelling experiment that is supposed to run until 28th February 2023.

Russia: Dmitry Davydov, author of the non-profit project "20 Ideas for the Development of Russia", recommends increasing the purchasing age for nicotine-containing products – including e-liquids and heated tobacco consumables – media reports. Referring to the experience of other countries, Davydov proposes a gradual transition, raising the age limit in the first year from 18 to 19, in the second year from 19 to 20, and in the third year to 21.

Russia: The Association of Internet Trade Companies has called on prime minister Mikhail Mishustin to lift the ban on online sales of alcohol, tobacco products and prescription drugs until the end of 2023 in order to support industry, media reports. It is unclear whether the request includes online sales of e-liquids.