Synopsis
Experts have raised concerns about the portrayal of e-cigarettes as healthier alternatives to tobacco, warning they can lead to traditional tobacco use among youth. India’s ban on these products has potentially prevented millions of addictions. Public awareness and stringent regulations were emphasized as necessary to tackle this issue.
New Delhi: Health and child rights experts have raised alarms about the increasing portrayal of e-cigarettes and vapes as healthier alternatives to traditional tobacco products, warning that these products are also being used as a gateway to traditional tobacco use. They cautioned that this “misleading narrative” is a strategic attempt by the industry to target and trap the young population, particularly those aged 10 to 19 years.
India has rightly banned these products, and this ban has potentially saved at least 24 million young people from falling into the trap of addiction, they said.
“E-cigarettes and vapes are as dangerous as tobacco and drugs for our country. Once a child is addicted to these products, they can easily be drawn to other forms of tobacco,” said Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson of the National Commission for Prote ..
The webinar was moderated by Arun Anand, a writer and senior journalist.
The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, enacted in 2019, bans all such products, including e-cigarettes and vapes.
This law was implemented as India was already the second-largest market for tobacco, attracting many US-based companies looking to tap into the Indian market for vapes and e-cigarettes.
Kanoongo, head of India’s child rights body, emphasized that India has a huge young population particularly those aged 10 to 19 years.
India has rightly banned these products, and this ban has potentially saved at least 24 million young people from falling into the trap of addiction, they said.
“E-cigarettes and vapes are as dangerous as tobacco and drugs for our country. Once a child is addicted to these products, they can easily be drawn to other forms of tobacco,” said Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson of the National Commission for Prote
Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), at a webinar organised by the Tobacco Free India, a citizens’ initiative, on Sunday.
The webinar was moderated by Arun Anand, a writer and senior journalist.
The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, enacted in 2019, bans all such products, including e-cigarettes and vapes.
