PANJIM: National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) has written to Prime Minister to ban electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes in the country.
NOTE General Secretary Dr Shekhar Salkar in his letter has pointed out that the Delhi High Court in March observed that ENDS does not come under the definition of drugs and stayed a circular issued by Central Excise and Customs for implementation of advisory by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW) that directed a ban on ENDS and e-cigarettes.
The advisory by MHFW which directed a ban on ENDS had mentioned that the products cannot be sold (including sale), manufactured, distributed, traded, imported and advertised, except for the purpose and in the manner and to the extent as may be approved under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and rules made under the law.
Seeking attention towards the online promotion by e-cigarette companies, Salkar said “The design and packaging of ENDS and its availability in different flavours is purely to attract youth to a new form of addiction. Nicotine addiction through the consumption of e-cigarettes is known to act as a gateway product and has increased the risk of using conventional tobacco products among youth and young adults.”
Eleven States, including Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Mizoram and the Union Territory of Puducherry, have already banned e-cigarettes in respective jurisdictions.
