Russia’s Legal Vape Liquid Producers Drop 23-Fold in a Year
The number of legal manufacturers of vape liquids in Russia has plummeted by 23 times in just one year, dropping from 117 companies to only five, according to Vladislav Zaslavsky, a director at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. This dramatic decline follows a doubling of excise taxes on nicotine-containing liquids in 2024, a move Zaslavsky believes has pushed the market into the shadows.
The debate over the future of Russia’s e-cigarette market has intensified, with lawmakers advocating for a complete ban while experts push for stricter regulation and prevention. At a recent roundtable, the National Scientific Center for Competencies (NNCC) reported that the share of illicit nicotine-containing products has reached 65.8%, five times higher than for traditional cigarettes. In smaller towns, this figure is estimated to be as high as 95-100%.
This shift to an illicit market makes it nearly impossible to control sales to minors, with reports indicating about 30% of teenagers purchase vapes online through social media and Telegram channels. Zaslavsky argued that the Ministry of Finance must either ban vapes completely or introduce strict regulations, including licensing, while simultaneously lowering the prohibitive excise taxes to allow legal businesses to compete with the black market.
The call for a full ban has strong political backing, with Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov and State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin both voicing support. However, experts insist that bans are ineffective and advocate for a comprehensive approach: creating a competitive legal market, enforcing real sanctions against violators, and implementing robust prevention and education campaigns for teenagers.
