Smoking in Russia is restricted by federal law, and penalties for violations are stipulated in the Code of Administrative Offenses. The fines are small, but the list of prohibited places is broader than commonly thought, and since 2020, the ban extends beyond cigarettes.
How much does a violation cost
Article 6.24, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses: violation of a prohibition established by federal law shall incur a fine of five hundred to one thousand five hundred rubles.
Part two highlights a separate case: playgrounds. There, the fine is higher: from two to three thousand rubles.
The sixfold difference between a minor infringement at the lower end and a playground at the upper end is what makes the second point worth remembering.
The ban applies not only to cigarettes
The wording of the article after the 2020 revision reads: prohibition of smoking tobacco, consumption of nicotine-containing products, or use of hookahs.
So, three categories at once. Vapes and heating systems fall under "nicotine-containing products," while hookahs are listed as a separate item. The argument "this isn't a cigarette" doesn't work here - the law lists them equally.
Where exactly is it not allowed?
The list of territories, premises, and objects is established by federal law on protecting health from tobacco smoke, and Article 6.24 refers to it. For a visitor, several places are practically significant, which are not immediately recalled:
Transportation and its infrastructure. This includes not only the vehicle itself, but also stations, terminals, platforms, and the surrounding areas within designated boundaries.
Common areas. Entrances, elevators, and stairwells in residential buildings are a frequent occurrence for those renting an apartment by the day.
Children's playgrounds and the grounds of educational, medical, and sports facilities.
⚠️ A crucial amendment to the common saying "you can do it outside." You can do it outside where there is no prohibition - and a prohibition is established for quite a few open spaces, including the grounds and territories of institutions.
What does a violation look like from a protocol perspective?
A fine is imposed based on the results of an administrative offense report. This means that the identity of the offender is established on the spot, not from a photograph after the fact, unlike, for example, parking fines.
The practical conclusion is simple: the argument about whether you smoked or not takes place at the moment the report is drawn up, and it's there that it makes sense to record your objections, rather than postponing them.
What is the owner of an establishment responsible for?
Prohibition has a flip side that smokers usually don't think about: a separate article punishes not the smoker, but the person who allowed smoking.
Article 6.25 of the Code of Administrative Offenses describes three offenses: non-compliance with requirements for a no-smoking sign, non-compliance with requirements for the designation and equipping of special smoking areas, and failure to fulfill duties to monitor compliance with the norms of legislation on public health protection from tobacco smoke.
Practical meaning for a visitor: if smoking is allowed in an establishment and no one intervenes, both parties are violating the law. And a no-smoking sign is not a decorative element, but a legal requirement, the absence of which the owner of the premises is responsible for.
Why was the ban expanded at all
The 2020 revision added nicotine-containing products and hookahs to Article 6.24. Before that, the regulation only referred to tobacco smoking, and vapes were formally excluded from it, which is what was being exploited.
Currently, all three categories are listed on the same line and are punished equally. Article 6.23 should be kept in mind separately — involving a minor in the consumption of tobacco or nicotine-containing products: this is a different offense and carries different liability.
What a Visitor to Moscow Should Keep in Mind
First. Smoking areas in airports and train stations are specially designated places, and the area outside of them is prohibited. Look for the signage, not a secluded corner.
Second. A rental apartment is someone else's entryway. The stairwell is off-limits.
Third. Hookah in an establishment does not make the premises an exception: it is named directly in the article.
Fourth. A playground is the most expensive option for a household. Three thousand rubles for a cigarette on a bench next to the swings.
Photo: Michaelversatile, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
