This State Govt bans e-cigarettes, users' body to approach Judiciary

September 15, 2018

Upon e-cigarettes being banned in Tamil Nadu, smokers may go back to smoking tobacco-filled cigarettes.

Citing health hazards, the Tamil Nadu govt. has banned manufacturing, sale distribution & use or possession of e-cigarettes under the category of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS).

The decision follows the ban of manufacturing & sale of ENDS in at least 6 other states including Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab & Jammu & Kashmir.

Reportedly, a recent govt order was issued to prohibit manufacturing, sale, distribution, import & possession of e-cigarettes.

According to the govt officials, the decision has been taken considering the health hazards as products have heavy metals & nicotine and can even cause burns and explosion.

Association of Vapers India, an organisation representing smokers & vapers in India, have begun protesting the move & are taking legal advice to approach the judiciary against the order.

The group recently submitted research papers with the State Health Administration to show that e-cigarettes are up to 95% safer than smoking.

Samrat Chowdhery, director, Association of Vapers India, said, "The Tamil Nadu govt has hit a new low in anti-people policy by banning use & possession of e-cigarettes along with their sale.Meanwhile, a far more harmful product, cigarette, continues to be sold freely & according to the national GATS-2 survey, the no. of smokers in the state are rising, which the govt. has failed to curb.”

"The state govt. has overlooked credible & vast evidence on the harm reduction potential of e-cigarettes to impose a ban that'll have a negative impact on public health", Chowdhery alleged.

The association had earlier filed a petition in a Karnataka Court against the ban of e-cigarettes. Chowdhery further said that the market for e-cigarettes is around ₹400 million in the country. While the market for e-cigarettes in Tamil Nadu isn't known, the state has around 8 million smokers.

Considering the alternative of e-cigarettes being banned in Tamil Nadu, smokers may go back to smoking tobacco-filled cigarettes, which is even more harmful, he said.

The hardware of ENDS is mostly imported while the essence of nicotine is produced in India & sold by various companies in states like Gujarat. ITC is 1 of the major players in e-cigarettes, under the brand EON, while global majors including Philip Morris, Reynolds & Japan Tobacco are also present in the market.

According to reports, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in August had also called for regulating e-cigarettes including a ban on the indoor use. It's also considered as harmful to children & there have been allegations that use of e-cigarettes is increasing among the children below 18 years of age.