The Supreme Court and the Government of the Russian Federation have supported a bill that proposes to criminalize the repeated sale of tobacco products, nicotine-containing products, hookahs and devices for the consumption of nicotine-containing products to minors. The official reviews are published in the Duma database.
The bill was submitted to the State Duma by a group of deputies headed by Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin. It is proposed to make the necessary changes to Article 151.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Now it provides for punishment for repeated retail sale of alcoholic beverages to minors - a fine of up to 80 thousand rubles, or correctional labor for up to one year with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years or without it.
"Given the focus of the draft federal law on strengthening measures to protect the life and health of citizens from tobacco and nicotine-containing products and the consequences of their consumption, the legislative initiative is conceptually supported," the Supreme Court said in a review.
The Government of the Russian Federation in its response indicated that it supports the bill, but subject to revision. Thus, they pointed out that the explanatory note to the draft law does not contain statistical data and analysis of law enforcement practice, indicating an increase in cases of administrative offenses related to the sale of tobacco products, hookahs and devices for the consumption of nicotine-containing products to minors.
"In order to implement the provisions envisaged by the draft law, additional allocations from the budgets of the budgetary system of the Russian Federation will be required. In this regard, the draft law should be finalized taking into account the requirements of Article 83 of the Budget Code of the Russian Federation," the government noted.
Earlier, Volodin reported that deputies plan to consider bills on tougher fines and the introduction of criminal penalties for selling vapes to children "in the last days of the session, or as a priority in early January." According to him, new norms are necessary, since "the decisions taken earlier are not enough."
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