Russia Civic Chamber Opposes Generational Tobacco Ban

A “generational ban” on tobacco sales is unlikely to solve smoking issues in Russia and may violate human rights, according to the Civic Chamber. Vladislav Grib argues that such measures create inequality among citizens based on birth year and will not prevent access to tobacco, as older individuals could simply purchase it for younger ones.

Key Takeaways:

Ineffective Strategy: Bans based on birth year won’t stop consumption; secondary supply channels will emerge.
Rights Violation: Creating two classes of citizens based on age is seen as discriminatory.
Global Context: Similar bans have faced challenges or rejection in the UK, New Zealand, and Malaysia.

A generational tobacco ban refers to legislation that prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after a specific date, effectively aiming to phase out smoking completely for future generations. However, Vladislav Grib, Deputy Secretary of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, has strongly opposed this approach, arguing it is both ineffective and discriminatory.

“Segregating People”: The Argument Against the Ban

Grib criticized the concept as legally and practically flawed. “I am against gradually moving to a ban on the sale of cigarettes to those born after a certain year. This will not solve the problem – those born earlier will buy and share,” he told TASS. He highlighted the absurdity of creating a two-tiered society where one group of adults is permitted to purchase a legal product while another is banned solely based on their birth date.

“We will segregate people into those who were ‘successfully’ born and those who were not. I am against this,” Grib stated, emphasizing that such practices infringe upon human rights.

International Precedents and Failures

Proposals to ban tobacco sales for those born after 2009, 2015, or 2017 have been repeatedly suggested in the State Duma but have not gained traction. Globally, the track record for such bans is mixed:

Region	Status of Generational Ban
UK	Proposed in 2023; stalled after political shifts in 2024.
New Zealand	Passed but subsequently repealed by a new government.
Brookline, USA	Active since 2020 for those born after Jan 1, 2000.

News source: В ОП выступили против запрета продажи табака людям с определенного года рождения

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