The Federation Council proposed a seven-year prison sentence for smuggling vaping liquids

The Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy proposed including vape liquid in the list of strategically important goods. In this case, smuggling them will be punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to seven years, as well as a fine of up to 1 million rubles. This is reported “News” with reference to a letter from senators to presidential aide Maxim Oreshkin.

Senator Andrei Kutepov, who signed the letter, stated that all goods illegally imported from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are not considered contraband and are not subject to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. As the newspaper notes, “largely for this reason,” cigarettes and alcohol were included in the list of strategically important goods for 2024.

Currently, the excise tax rate on liquids for electronic cigarettes is 20 rubles. for 1 ml. Next year it will increase to 42 rubles, in 2025 – 44 rubles, in 2026 – 46 rubles. “After doubling the excise tax on liquids and introducing licensing for imports from third countries in 2024, the main flow of illegal products will be redirected to the open border of Russia with Kazakhstan and, to a lesser extent, with Belarus,” Mr. Kutepov is convinced.

The press service of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that they have not yet received the Federation Council’s initiative.

In January, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin offered develop an initiative to ban the sale of vapes to minors. In the same month the State Duma accepted a law to increase excise taxes on cigarettes and cigarettes, heating tobacco and vaping liquids. The idea of ​​Mr. Volodin supported Rospotrebnadzor, against spoke Ministry of Health In April, President Vladimir Putin signed law restricting the sale of vapes.

Laura Keffer