Excise taxes to be imposed on e-cigarettes: report

MOSCOW: Russia’s healthcare ministry has drafted a bill to introduce excise taxes on electronic cigarettes, Russian news agencies reported on Friday, citing minister Veronika Skvortsova.

Russia has in the past decade tightened tobacco sales regulations as part of a wider campaign to reduce smoking.

“The manufacturers of these products are actually pulling (people) into a new malicious campaign, we need to resist,” Interfax quoted Skvortsova as saying.

International alarm

It is pertinent to note here that earlier this month, the American Medical Association too urged Americans to stop using electronic cigarettes of any sort until scientists have a better handle on the cause of 450 lung illnesses and at least five deaths related to the use of the products.

The AMA, one of the nation’s most influential physician groups, also called on doctors to inform patients about the dangers of e-cigarettes, including toxins and carcinogens, and swiftly report any suspected cases of lung illness associated with e-cigarette use to their state or local health department.

The recommendation followed advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday for people to consider not using e-cigarette products while it investigates the cause of the spate of severe lung illnesses associated with vaping.