State Duma deputy Mikhail Delyagin reminded in his Telegram channel that from March 1 next year, at the initiative of the Ministry of Health, it is legally prohibited to add any flavors to chewing tobacco. Dyes and additives that increase nicotine addiction can be added only if they are included by the government in a special list.
“The ban on the chewing tobacco industry and its transition to an illegal state seems wrong – due to both the harm to health (since no one knows what will be added to illegal chewing tobacco and whether it will turn into something like today’s vapes) and damage to the budget. It is worth noting that this threat arises against the background of obvious successes in the fight against illegal tobacco products: for example, last July, the National Scientific Center of Chemistry and Technology reported a decrease in its share by 1.7 percentage points – to 11.7 percent. This success was achieved mainly through the efforts of the government: the adoption of a new law on licensing, moderate growth of excise taxes within the country, equalizing the excise burden with Belarus ,” he noted .
According to the deputy, it is reasonable to maintain this dynamic, not allowing either an increase in excise taxes above inflation and our neighbors in the EAEU , or new sharp distortions (like throwing chewing tobacco into the illegal sphere).