Proposals to ban e-cigs in Russia stall as fears of growth in black market persist

Attempts to completely ban the sale of e-cigarettes in Russia have so far never met with government support amid concerns from industry organisations that a total ban will only exacerbate the already large illegal market in the country.

In December last year, the Communist Party introduced a draft decree introducing a complete ban on e-cigarettes. This draft came on the heels of another bill introduced in the State Duma (lower chamber of the parliament) in May 2024, drafted by deputies from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, the New People Party and the Communist Party.

The government, in its official review, cited the lack of fundamental distinctions between the latest proposal and previous ones that had already been rejected. The first reading of the draft decree was expected in March but has not yet taken place.