Putin warns students about vapes

Getting the device to show off among peers is no achievement, unlike becoming really good at something, the Russian president said

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned school children against falling for the fad of vaping, saying use of the devices damages health and does nothing to prove the worth of those who use them.

The Russian leader hosted a school class on Monday, marking the start of the academic year in the country. For roughly 80 minutes, he was answering questions from an audience of students in the republic of Tyva in Siberia.

One of the girls bragged about her sports achievements and urged the government to hike taxes on vape devices and to use the generated profits to build more fitness centers for people like her. Putin said there were limits on how far regulations can move public preferences and that other policies were required to deal with the issue.

”People need to learn what bad habits cause. Young people especially don’t think about that. They believe it is fashionable, cool – smoking e-cigs,” he said.

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Medical data indicates a range of adverse effects caused by vapes, Putin noted, including memory problems, general weakness, a compromised immunity system and challenges with having children. Meanwhile, studies consistently show the benefits of sports and physical activity, including for cognitive functions.

”Taking first place in a sport – that is cool. It requires commitment, strength of will, discipline and self-improvement,” the president added. “Whereas, if you manage to get an e-cig, that doesn’t prove much. What’s the big deal?”

As for taxation and other measures, at a certain point an attempt to regulate something out of existence simply pushes people underground, as the USSR learned the hard way with its attempts to reduce alcohol consumption by eradicating wineries, Putin said. Addicts switched to moonshine and various surrogates, and deaths skyrocketed, he explained.

READ MORE: Alcohol consumption in Russia almost halved since 2009 – deputy PM

In July, Health Minister Tatyana Golikova boasted that in the past 15 years alcohol consumption has significantly decreased in Russia, from almost 14 liters per capita in 2009 to just over eight today. Progress was also made with tobacco products, including vapes, with the share of habitual smokers dropping from 40% to less than 19%, she reported.