Surprise! Russia Plans To Completely Ban E-cigarettes And Heated Tobacco Products. The 70 Billion Ruble Market Will Undergo A Major Transformation.

Recently, the Health Protection Committee of the Russian State Duma has announced a significant piece of news: An amendment aimed at revising the "Restrictions on Tobacco Product Consumption" law has been passed in the first reading. The proposal is to completely ban the entire chain of circulation of electronic nicotine delivery systems (i.e., electronic cigarettes) and heated tobacco products within Russia. If this measure is eventually implemented, it will completely rewrite the local tobacco consumption market landscape.
It is known that this amendment covers a wide range of areas and not only restricts the production, import, and sale of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products, but also directly prohibits their use in public and private places, forming a closed-loop regulatory system from the source to the end. Currently, this proposal has received dual support from the Russian Consumer Rights Protection Agency and the Narcotics Regulatory Department, and has been officially submitted to the relevant committee of the State Duma, preparing for the subsequent second reading review.
Data shows that by 2025, the market size of electronic nicotine delivery systems in Russia has reached approximately 70 billion rubles, which is an important part of the local tobacco consumption sector. This regulatory upgrade was not accidental - Russia has gradually tightened tobacco control measures before: in 2023, it clearly prohibited the sale of tobacco to minors, and in 2024, it completely banned the sale of flavored electronic nicotine liquid. This policy is the "ultimate restriction" for new types of tobacco products.
Industry analysts point out that if the bill is ultimately passed, Russia will become one of the few countries in the world to completely ban electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products through federal law. This will not only have a direct impact on local production enterprises but also profoundly affect cross-border trade practitioners relying on the Russian market. For foreign trade enterprises, they need to closely monitor the progress of the bill review, plan market transformation, inventory disposal and other response measures in advance to avoid potential business risks.
Currently, this amendment is still in the legislative process, and there are still uncertainties in the subsequent second reading, third reading and presidential signature stages. We will continue to track the policy dynamics and bring you the latest progress in a timely manner.