A notification pertaining to the ban was issued by the State drug controller (SDC) Ravindra Kumar Sinha, and also distributed to all assistant drug controllers (ADC) and drug inspectors in the State. Anti-tobacco campaigner and executive director of Socio-Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS) Deepak Mishra, said that the ban was implemented in order to prevent nicotine consumption amongst adolescents.
In the meantime, while India seems to headed in the direction of banning the products across the country, local scientists have been appealing to the authorities to conduct “India centric research before deciding on any hasty move”.
India needs to consider policies that would facilitate smoking cessation
Last September, Dr. Siddiqi and Prof. Sharan wrote yet another letter addressed to the Union Minister, urging him to avert a public health disaster by regulating electronic cigarettes rather than ban them. “We believe that public health in India is at a greater risk under a prohibitive environment than by allowing smokers, who wish to cease tobacco use, an alternative option based on nicotine replacement via e-cigarettes.” said Prof. Sharan.
In line with what several studies have been indicating, the scientists pointed out that the devices have been shown to lead to decreased smoking rates in the countries where they have been endorsed. Infact, thanks to the advent of vaping, the UK who has fully endorsed the devices as part of smoking cessation programs, is reporting the lowest number of smokers ever recorded.
Read Further: India Today
