Despite the Centre’s advisory issued last month asking the States to stop the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) which use a nicotine-laced liquid, the Rajasthan government is yet to take action to protect the adolescents and youths against nicotine addiction. The sale of e-cigarettes continues unabated in the State.
The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare had asked all States in an advisory issued on August 28 that the ENDS, including e-cigarettes, vape, e-sheesha, e-nicotine flavoured hookah and heat-not-burn devices were not sold, manufactured, distributed, traded, imported and advertised in any manner.
Seven States - Punjab, Karnataka, Mizoram, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh - have already prohibited manufacturing and sale of e-cigarettes and the Ministry had asked others to follow suit.
Great health risk
The Ministry, which was deliberating on framing regulations on ENDS since 2014, has found that the products which enable nicotine delivery are a great health risk to the public at large, especially the children, adolescents, pregnant women and women of reproductive age. The ENDS are also not approved as nicotine replacement therapy under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
In Rajasthan, a committee headed by a medical expert, Nalin Joshi, had submitted its report to the Medical and Health Ministry earlier this year with the recommendation for a ban on e-cigarettes. The committee had found that the nicotine-laced and heat-not-burn devices were “extremely harmful” for the youths.
Vaagdhara, a voluntary organisation working for tobacco control in the State, has called for immediate ban on e-cigarettes in compliance with the Centre’s advisory.
“Rajasthan has been a champion State in tobacco control. A prompt action on this front will protect our youths,” Vaagdhara secretary Jayesh Joshi said.
