Govt bans e-cigarettes, will stop all production, sale: Nirmala Sitharaman

Govt bans e-cigarettes(image:nypost)

HIGHLIGHTS

Govt approves ordinance to ban e-cigarettes in India
Individuals in possession of e-cigarette stocks need to hand it over to police
Those found storing e-cigarette stocks illegally could end up going to prison or paying a heft fine
The Union Cabinet has given approval to ban e-cigarettes, announced Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday. Following this decision, manufacturing, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertising related to e-cigarettes are now banned.
Nirmala Sitharaman said the key reason behind the move was the alarming rate at which vaping is becoming popular among the younger population.
"E-cigarettes were promoted as a way to get people out of their smoking habits but reports have shown that many people are not using it as weaning mechanism but are addicted to it," said Sitharaman while announcing the government's decision to put a ban on e-cigarettes.
The minister added, "Reports say that there are some who are probably getting into the habit of e-cigarettes as it seems cool. It is believed that there are more than 400 brands, none of which is manufactured in India. And they come in over 150 flavours."
Sitharaman, who had headed a Group of Ministers (GoM) on the issue, said the Cabinet decided to ban e-cigarettes and similar products as they pose a health risk to people, especially the youth.
A draft ordinance suggests that storage of e-cigarettes will now be punishable by Rs 50,000, imprisonment up to six months or both.
Soon after Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement, cigarette stocks climbed on the stock market. Shares of ITC rose over 1.5 per cent, Godfrey Phillips India stocks jumped close to eight per cent and Golden Tobacco went up approximately 4.5 per cent.
Once the ordinance is issued, any individual in possession of e-cigarette stocks needs to declare and deposit it with the nearest police station.

e-cigarette:

What are e-cigarettes?

An electronic cigarette (or e-cig) is a battery-powered vaporizer that mimics tobacco smoking. It works by heating up a nicotine liquid, called “juice.”

Nicotine juice (or e-juice) comes in various flavors and nicotine levels. e-liquid is composed of five ingredients: vegetable glycerin (a material used in all types of food and personal care products, like toothpaste) and propylene glycol (a solvent most commonly used in fog machines.) propylene glycol is the ingredient that produces thicker clouds of vapor.
Proponents of e-cigs argue that the practice is healthier than traditional cigarettes because users are only inhaling water vapor and nicotine.

Why was It hard to regulate them?
As e-cigarettes contain nicotine and not tobacco, they do not fall within the ambit of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), which mandates stringent health warnings on the packaging and advertisements of tobacco products.

WHO report on e- cigarettes and effects:

As per the report, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) (also known as e-cigarettes) emits nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco products. In addition to dependence, nicotine can have adverse effects on the development of the foetus during pregnancy and may contribute to cardiovascular disease.
The WHO report further says that although nicotine itself is not a carcinogen, it may function as a “tumour promoter” and seems to be involved in the biology of malignant disease, as well as of neurodegeneration.
Foetal and adolescent nicotine exposure may have long-term consequences for brain development, potentially leading to learning and anxiety disorders.
The evidence is sufficient to warn children and adolescents, pregnant women, and women of reproductive age against ENDS use and nicotine.

Why ban them?

Studies say ENDS have cancer-causing properties, are highly addictive and do not offer a safer alternative to tobacco-based products. Experts say e-cigarettes are just a mechanism to deliver nicotine in an attractive format.

Way ahead:

The government should also impose appropriate restrictions on the sale and advertisement, online and otherwise, of e-cigarettes, including proper health warnings, in order to plug the existing regulatory vacuum. This should be done with immediate effect, and simultaneously the government should also commission independent scientific research on the benefits and risks posed by these products in the Indian context.