Team Herald
PANJIM: In a move to prevent a health risk to children, adults and women, the National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) and Consumer VOICE have demanded that the Goa government ban the sale of e-cigarettes (Electronic Nicotine Delivery System).
The organisations have said that based on a recent advisory issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, asking States and UTs to ban the sale of E-cigarettes, Tamil Nadu has already done it.
Goa, NOTE and Consumer VOICE ave written a second letter to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and Health Secretary of Goa urging them to ban e-cigarette sale in the state, NOTE India president Dr Shekhar Salkar said in a statement.
Salkar said that according to GATS-2 (Global Adult Tobacco Survey) report, 9.7 percent of adults in Goa consume tobacco in some form or the other in which 5.7 percent are males and 4.0 percent females. “Since e-cigarettes are being used to lure youth in the form of nicotine addiction who then slowly gravitate towards tobacco cigarettes this ban is urgently needed,” he said.
“These newer forms of addiction are destroying our younger generations. Before it’s too late we request our State government to completely ban e-cigarettes in the larger interest of public health and save our citizens from this nicotine menace,” he said.
Consumer VOICE, New Delhi COO Ashim Sanyal said, “Such strong steps and its strict implementation are crucial for saving youngsters from jumping into addiction. We sincerely urge government of Goa to ban e-cigarette to save precious lives from nicotine addiction.”
