Onishchenko explained the impact of electronic cigarettes on health and allowed their ban

On November 14, epidemiologist, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Education Gennady Onishchenko supported a complete ban on the sale of vapes at the national level, calling electronic smoking products a poison to the body.

"We need a complete ban on vapes, and I consider the attempts to limit their distribution now to be a shameful compromise. I bow low to those regional governments that have imposed a ban on the sale of vapes. <... > Vapes are an absolute poison, the body does not need them!" the academician said in an interview with RT.

Speaking about the history of tobacco distribution, Onishchenko mentioned the French diplomat Jean Nicot, after whom nicotine was named. The academician noted his role in popularizing tobacco smoking and figuratively compared the spread of this habit in Europe with revenge for the destruction of the Aztec civilization.

At the same time, the epidemiologist rejected the view that vapes help to quit smoking. According to him, these devices do not eliminate nicotine addiction and contribute to the involvement of children in nicotine consumption.

Breathe — don't breathe: vapes want to be banned in all regions of Russia

Why do social activists and lawmakers consider it important to introduce new restrictions

On November 10, Ekaterina Leshchinskaya, Chairman of the Healthy Fatherland movement, addressed Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma, with an initiative to hold parliamentary hearings on the vaping ban by the end of this year and to develop a single standard regulatory act for the regions.

In September, Dmitry Bulanov, Ph.D., Director of the Department of Pathomorphology and Clinical Cytology at the LabQuest laboratory, said that the first signs of the negative effects of vaping are easily confused with colds, fatigue, or the effects of dry air. According to the doctor, frequent coughing, scratching, dry mouth and headache should be alerted, especially if the symptoms occur after puffs or worsen with more frequent use of the device.