State Duma Deputy Vitaliy Milonov acknowledged that his conduct at a vape shop in St. Petersburg was inappropriate after a video surfaced showing a heated exchange with a store clerk. The footage, shared by the telegraph channel Mash on the Moika, captured Milonov expressing strong disapproval while at the checkout of a vape retailer in a city shopping center.
In his remarks, Milonov said he became overwhelmed by anger over the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors and remarked that the clerk appeared to him as if he had smoke in his eyes. He argued that residents had repeatedly raised concerns about the store, and that local authorities had not addressed the issue, which had led him to authorize a more intensive inspection of the vape shop. He admitted that a calmer approach would have been better, but stressed that his concern about minors compelled a forceful response when he perceived harm to children.
According to the telegraph channel, Milonov went to the city in order to verify whether smoking devices were being sold to underage customers. He also visited other electronic cigarette shops in St. Petersburg, directing his assistants to observe the sale of nicotine products. He asserted that electronic cigarettes were found at all inspected points during these checks.
Earlier reports indicated that the Federation Council was scheduled to meet on April 26 to discuss possible measures, including prohibiting the sale of e cigarettes to minors and increasing penalties for selling nicotine-containing products to children. These deliberations reflect ongoing concerns about youth access to vaping products and the legislative steps being considered to address them. The discourse underscores a broader push to strengthen age verification and retailer accountability across the region, with officials seeking to balance consumer concerns with enforcement realities and public health considerations.