49 out of 50 electronic cigarettes in Russia are counterfeit

According to the Union of Nicotine-Containing Products Enterprises, currently only one out of 50 electronic cigarettes sold in Russia is legal.

Only one electronic cigarette out of 50 in Russia is legal, which leads to low excise tax collection, according to a study by the Union of Nicotine-Containing Products Enterprises (SPINI), the data is available to RIA Novosti.

“The Union of Nicotine-Containing Products Enterprises (SPINI) conducted a study according to which at the moment the share of illegal production (sale) of nicotine-containing liquids and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in Russia amounted to more than 99%, that is, currently only one out of 50 electronic cigarettes sold in Russia is legal. The budget receives excise tax only from it,” SPINI said.

The union predicts that in 2024 the amount of excise tax for these liquids for electronic nicotine delivery systems produced in Russia “will be close to zero.”

“The market is completely “black” (not even “very gray”)… The consumer is not ready to buy products for this money… The state risks not receiving excise taxes on nicotine raw materials at all. In addition to the lost more than 148 billion rubles in 2023, the state budget will actually not collect anything in 2024. The situation is critical – it is necessary to urgently review state regulation of the ENDS and liquids market in order to reverse its final retreat into the shadows. We need to find a way to adequately collect excise taxes on nicotine raw materials and products,” commented SPINI President Vladimir Mishelovin.

Source: https://ria.ru/20240930/sigarety-1975399912.html