By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Rosstandart says vape packaging standards will be tightened in early 2026, with larger health-warning space required.
- Shalaev said vape device design should not include elements that imitate game plots or that attract children.
- Amendments to existing GOST standards were prepared in collaboration with State Duma youth-policy lawmakers and are slated for adoption in early 2026.
Russia plans to tighten requirements for the packaging and design of vapes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems in early 2026, according to Anton Shalaev, head of the federal standards agency, Rosstandart.
In a TASS interview published Jan. 12, Shalaev said a significantly larger share of vape packaging should be devoted to health warnings — including depictions of adverse health consequences — in a format closer to that of traditional cigarette packs.
“Our task is to reach the point where a significant part of the packaging depicts the negative consequences of smoking,” Shalaev said, adding that cigarette packages already devote substantial space to warning imagery while vape packaging does not.
Shalaev also said product design standards will be tightened to prevent devices from resembling toys or games. “Any additional components in the design of electronic delivery systems must not imitate game plots,” he told TASS. “Everything should be clear and should not provoke interest among children — and should deter them from vapes.”
He said vapes are not currently banned in Russia but argued that standards can still be used to reduce youth uptake. Shalaev noted that current GOST standards already restrict attention-grabbing images on packaging, but said enforcement experience shows existing requirements are insufficient.
Shalaev said that Rosstandart prepared a “large block” of amendments in late 2025 with colleagues from the State Duma committee on youth policy, and that the tightened standards are expected to be adopted in early 2026.
