Team Herald
PANJIM: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday issued an advisory to State governments to ban Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) which include e-cigarettes, vape, e-Sheesha, and e-hookah.
The move comes in the light of the Delhi High Court pulling up the Centre for delay in coming up with regulatory measures to check the “new emerging threat” of e-cigarettes in the country.
In its advisory to the governments of states and union territories, the Health ministry has directed that the manufacture, sale (including online), distribution, trade, import and advertisements of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) including E cigarettes, Heat-Not-Burn devices, Vape, e-Sheesha, e-Nicotine Flavoured Hookah be stopped.
The ministry also added a caveat saying that exceptions should be made only under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. It further said that such electronic devices that enable nicotine delivery or its use, are a great health risk to the public at large, especially to children, adolescents, pregnant women and women of reproductive age.
“The aerosol in ENDS contains nicotine (the addictive component in tobacco products such as cigarettes) which not only creates dependence but also contribute to cardiovascular diseases. It also said that nicotine may function as a ‘tumor promoter’ as it is involved in the biology of malignant diseases.” The advisory states
The Ministry stated that in 2014, a roundtable discussion on ENDS was held where health experts and officers of the health and drug departments concluded that such devices are hazardous.
According to the Ministry, Punjab, Karnataka, Mizoram, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have already prohibited the manufacture, distribution, import and sale of artificial nicotine products.
