12 Indian States Kick The Butt: Ban E-Cigarettes After Union Health Ministry Advisory

Twelve states across the country have banned Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes following an advisory from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued in 2018, reports Mint.

There is increased consumption of e-ciggies in India, especially among the younger population. They are sometimes consumed as a substitute for conventional cigarettes with the assumption that they are less harmful. However, doctors and researchers have warned that e-ciggies present significant health risks that are similar to those of conventional cigarettes.

In August last year, the ministry had asked all states and union territories (UTs) to prohibit the sale (both offline and online), manufacture, distribution, trade, import and advertising of ENDS, e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn devices, vape, e-sheesha, e-nicotine flavoured hookah, and other similar devices.

Following this, the states of Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Jharkhand have issued directives to their respective authorities in giving effect to the ban.

Affects Heart Too

According to a new study, e-cigarettes not only affect the lungs but also adversely impact the users’ heart function. “When you smoke e-cigarettes, you are much more likely to have an MI [myocardial infarction or heart attack], coronary artery disease, stroke, and are more prone to suffer from depression,” said Dr Mohinder Vindhyal, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.

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