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 in the past decade has 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.
Sales of e-cigarettes in Russia are expected to rise 17% to $395 million this year, according to market research provider Euromonitor International.
News by Reuters, edited by ESM. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
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