Russia has strengthened state control over the production and circulation of tobacco and nicotine-containing products, effective March 1, reports Mail.ru.
The Federal Service for Control of Alcohol and Tobacco Markets, Rosalkogoltabakcontrol, will now monitor production and circulation of tobacco, suppressing illegal production and trafficking of products and monitoring compliance with licensing and mandatory requirements during production supply, purchase and transportation.
Control activities include on-site inspections, test purchases and inspection visits.
Effective March 1, manufacturers are required to have a license to produce tobacco. An electronic register of these licenses came into effect on Sept. 1, 2023.