Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that e-cigarettes cause serious memory and health problems, although they seem "fashionable and cool" to young people. This was discussed at the open lesson "Talking about important things" at the Kyzyl school No. 20.
"We need to understand what bad habits lead to. Many people - especially young people - don't think about it. It seems that it is fashionable, that it is cool to smoke electronic cigarettes. But no one thinks that there are problems with memory, with the general physical condition. Problems with immunity, because with these electronic cigarettes, it turns out that various pathogens enter the lungs. And this lowers immunity," he listed the consequences.
And young people, Putin continued, have reduced reproductive function. "Both men and women. That is, the opportunity to have children in the future is decreasing," he said. The Head of State warned that this is a serious issue. "But when it seems that it's fashionable and cool, people don't think about it. But you need to know about it. And think about it," he stressed.
Responding to the proposal to raise taxes on vapes, the president recalled that this had already been done. In addition, there are always "certain restrictions related to tax increases and prohibitions." "We had a laugh in the Soviet Union, there was such a formula: "Grab and don't let go." To forbid, to suppress," Putin gave an example.
In his opinion, prohibitions do work somewhere, but there is always a line beyond which they stop working. This also applies to "grey" tax schemes. "These same electronic cigarettes will appear - and are already appearing in large numbers - which enter the market in bulk or in earnest, without any taxes, are not produced within the framework of the current law," he stated.
Putin also recalled the experience of the Soviet anti-alcohol campaign. "Unfortunately, we also had such an experience in our country when they fought against alcohol, cut down all the vineyards. Everything led to an increase in moonshine, to the fact that people began to drink all sorts of denatured substances, mixtures, impurities. The number of deaths has increased dramatically," he complained.
The President is confident that the work on combating bad habits should be comprehensive. "The main part of this work is explaining the real situation. What does this lead to," he pointed out. "It is necessary that a healthy lifestyle, regular sports become fashionable, so that it would be cool," the head of state summed up.
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