Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Announces Ban On E-Cigarettes After Cabinet Meet

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday proclaimed that the cabinet has approved the decision to ban e-cigarettes. The minister made the announcement at a press conference in Delhi after the Cabinet meeting.

“The Union Cabinet has given the approval to ban e-cigarettes. It means that the assembly, producing, import/export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertising associated with e-cigarettes are prohibited,” said Sitharaman.

The decision comes once demands from many quarters to ban Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), which includes e-cigarettes, Heat-Not-Burn devices, Vape, e-Sheesha, e-Nicotine tasteful Hookah, and different similar devices.

Nirmala Sitharaman said the government would pass an ordinance like a shot subject to President’s approval to convey impact to the ban. The government would introduce a bill in Parliament within the winter session, she said.

Sitharaman said that presently, though no Indian company was producing e-cigarettes, some four hundred brands were already operative here giving the merchandise in 150 flavours. Citing a study within the North American country, she said there had been 900 % growth in e-cigarettes between 2011 and 2015-16.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, who was additionally present at the informing, said it was absolutely a timely step and also the proposal had come to the cabinet after due deliberation. “This could be a welcome step. hindrance is usually higher,” he said

E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that turn out an aerosol by heating a solution containing nicotine, which is the habit-forming substance in flammable cigarettes.

The violation of the ban can invite imprisonment of up to at least one year for first-time offenders, whereas repeat offenders will get up to three years. The e-hookah too stands prohibited, said Sitharaman. The Prohibition of e-cigarettes Ordinance, 2019, was recently examined by a Group of Ministers (GoM) following directions from the Prime Minister’s workplace.

Those supporting e-cigarettes argue that they're less harmful than smoking tobacco whereas the govt. is of the read that they create health risks just like those caused by standard cigarettes.

On Tuesday, New York became the second US state to ban tasteful e-cigarettes, following many vaping-linked deaths that have raised fears a couple of product long promoted as less harmful than smoking.

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