Governor of Russia's Kaliningrad region proposes full e-cigarette ban

The governor of Russia’s Kaliningrad region has called for a complete ban on e-cigarettes in order to protect young people from their harms.

According to a Meduza report on September 27, Kaliningrad Governor Anton Alikhanov proposed a full ban on e-cigarettes. 

In a post on his Telegram channel, Governor Alikhanov said: “The idea is not complicated, but it is very clear: ban e-cigarettes—completely, permanently, entirely. Their advertising and promotion are clearly aimed at children. The ban on selling them to minors is not working, so they should simply be banned altogether.” 

On February 9, Alikhanov had already raised the idea of a total e-cigarette ban. At that time, he claimed that schools had recorded cases of poisoning and fainting linked to e-cigarettes. 

Starting from September 1, Russia was expected to set minimum prices for e-cigarettes and e-liquid. The government plans to determine the pricing, although this has not yet been implemented and corresponding regulations are still expected. In addition, the Russian government also plans to approve a list of ingredients and flavor additives prohibited in the manufacture of e-cigarettes if they can worsen nicotine dependence. Products containing such ingredients will not be allowed to be produced.