CITING HEALTH RISK, E-CIGARETTES BANNED

INTRODUCTION

The Union government had banned the production, importing and sale of e-cigarettes and similar products, citing health risk to people, especially youth and an ordinance issued to make it an offence entailing a term of prison upto three years as well as fine.

The decision which was taken by the Union Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on September 19 which banned the e-cigarettes technically called the ENDS (Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems). The production, manufacturing, import, export, transport, sale, distribution and storage and advertisement relating to e-cigarette were all banned, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who headed a Group of Ministers (GoM) on the issue.

Storage of e-cigarettes which shall be punished with imprisonment upto six months or fine upto Rs 50,000 or both. The owners of existing stocks of e-cigarettes on the date of commencement of the ordinance will have to declare and deposit the stocks with the nearest police station.

The government had also passed an ordinance on the date of commencement of the ordinance with subject to the approval of the President and the matter which will be taken up in the next parliament session.

E-CIGARETTES

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), are the systems which are battery powered devices that are used to smoke or vape, a flavoured solution containing a varying concentration of nicotine, an addictive chemical found in cigarettes and forms of tobacco products.

There are various types of ENDS devices like e-cigarettes, heat not burn devices, vape, e-shisha and e-nicotine flavoured hookah and among others. ENDS are being manufactured in such a way to resemble traditional tobacco products like cigarettes, pipes, cigars and common gadgets like flash drives, flash lights or pens.

There are more than 400 brands and none of which is manufactured in India and they come in more than 150 flavours.

WHY IS IT SAID TO BE HARMFUL?

 As per the reports of WHO, ENDS are being heated to a solution to create an aerosol which frequently contains flavourings, usually dissolved into propylene glycol or glycerin.

ENDS aerosol which contains nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco products. In addition to the dependence, nicotine can have adverse effects on the development of the foetus during pregnancy and may contribute to cardiovascular disease.

Although, Nicotine itself is not a carcinogen, it may function as a tumour promoter and it seems to be involved in the biology of malignant disease, as well as of neurodegeneration.

Foetal and adolescent nicotine exposure might have long term consequences for the brain development, potentially leading to learning and anxiety disorders. The evidence is sufficient to warn the children and adolescents, pregnant women and women of reproductive agee against ENDS use and nicotine.

The government of 30 countries including Mauritius, Australia, Singapore, North Korea, Sri Lanks, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Bahrain, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have already banned ENDS in their countries.

WHY THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO BAN IT?

The current decision which had come back to an advisory issued by the government in 2018 to all the states to consider banning e-cigarettes. Sixteen states and 1 union territory have already banned e-cigarettes in their jurisdictions.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), mentioned in a subject which recommends a complete ban on e-cigarette based on currently available scientific evidence. The WHO which has urged the membering countries to take up appropriate steps including prohibiting these products are made being safer alternatives for conventional cigarettes, but such notions of safety are false.

E-Cigarettes are usually promoted by the industry as smoking cessation aids but their efficacy and safety as a quitting aid which has not yet been established. The WHO does not endorse e-cigarettes as cessation aids. Widespread use and unchecked proliferation of e-cigarettes and other devices would seriously undermine and derail the government’s efforts to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use.

FARMERS PROTEST AGAINST MOVE

An organisation of tobacco farmers and merchants in Gujarat urged the centre to reconsider its decision to ban e-cigarettes. Farmers in the state which will be affected severely by the ban, told the Gujarat Tobacco Growers and Merchants Association.

CONCLUSION

Gujarat grows upto 80% of the tobacco produced in the entire country. After the advent of e-cigarettes, which uses nicotine extracted from the raw tobacco and its dust, farmers were able to sell raw tobacco at Rs 45 to 50 per kilogram and now with the ban, the prices would once again come down to past levels, resulting in loss of income for farmers every year, told the association Chief Bhikhubhai Patel.

By-

Vijayalakshmi Raju

Student Reporter, INBA.