Indian Government Bans E-cigarette, Warns of New Epidemic

Central government in India has decided on banning e-cigarette, importing its components or any other ingredients in all states of the country.

Press Secretary of the government has announced that the authorities ratified a motion of banning, importing  and selling the e-cigarette in  India.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49738381

The decision includes also ads  and any other activities related to this type of cigarettes.

Minister of Finance and Companies Affairs in India revealed that the government will refer the draft of e-cigarette to the President to enact it as a presidential decree.

She pointed out that 100 makes of e-cigarette are traded in India despite no national company produces either type.

On the other hand, a report issued in the USA warns of rare disease results of smoking e-cigarette.

Minister of Information in India said that anybody who violates the ban on e-cigarette will be sent behind bar for 1-3 years.

India has more than 100 million adult smokers, making it a huge potential market for e-cigarette companies.

Vaping - which involves inhaling a mix typically made of nicotine, water, solvents and flavors - is seen as an alternative to smoking which can help you quit, but its impact on health is still not fully known.

Traditional tobacco products are not affected by banning e-cigarette.

Evidence from the US and India suggested some young people saw vaping as a "style statement".

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India has more smokers than any other country, except for China.

India is the world's second-largest consumer of tobacco products after China, and more than 900,000 people die in the country each year from tobacco-related illnesses.

Proponents of vaping say it helps people stop smoking and that banning it would encourage ex-smokers to pick up the habit again.

But India's health ministry, which proposed the ban, says it is in the public interest to ensure vaping doesn't become an "epidemic" among young people.

While the Indian market seemed ripe for the expansion of popular e-cigarette companies like Juul, it hadn't taken off like it has in the US or the UK.

It is worth to mention that New York  has banned flavored e-cigarette since September 17.

Michigan is about to take a similar step soon.

Vapers in the US, UK and France spent more than $10bn (£8bn) on smokeless tobacco and vaping products in 2018.