Government bans E-smoking products | Fusion - WeRIndia

Many people are aware of health hazards of smoking. However, due to addiction, it is difficult for them to quit smoking.

In this situation, e-smoking is slowly replacing normal cigarettes and other tobacco products.

But, e-smoking products like e-cigarettes, e-hookah etc. are not as good as they are advertised.

They also have adverse effects on health like normal cigarettes.

The Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) have addictive and cancer causing properties. Hence, they do not provide a safer alternative to normal tobacco-based products.

Furthermore, experts advise that electronic cigarettes are also harmful as they contain packaged nicotine in an attractive format. As a result, many people especially youth are attracted to these.

Despite having stringent laws in India, each year approximately 9 million people die because of tobacco products.

In this context, health ministry asked all states to ban ENDS products such as e-cigarettes, e-hookah, vape and e-sheesha as children, youth and women of reproductive age are more vulnerable to them.

In order to protect public health, the health ministry released an advisory to states in which it say that the initiation of ENDS should be prevented.

It is also stated that all such devices with nicotine delivery are not permitted to be sold both online and offline.

They should not be manufactured, traded or distributed in the jurisdiction of states. Even imports and advertisements are not permitted.

However, the may be approved under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 to an extent.

At present, Philip Morris International Inc is trying to enter in Indian market with ENDS. With this advisory, the company cannot do so.

On the contrary, Philip Morris states that ENDS are sleek, pen-like iQOS; they do not burn tobacco like normal cigarettes, but produces a nicotine vapour instead of smoke. Hence they are less harmful than normal cigarettes.

Image credit: Young man vaping and holding an e-cigarette image by Sarah Johnson is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Image Reference: https://www.flickr.com/photos/157551927@N08/25143234568