Govt mulls banning e-cigarettes, e-sheeshas, hookahs

Evidence show nicotine delivery systems pose grave risk to human health

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Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 22

The government is mulling ways to ban electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes after evidence to suggest that they pose grave risk to human health including malignancies, brain damage, cardiovascular diseases and anxiety disorders.

Discussions are underway in the Ministry of Health to see if ENDS can be defined as drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and regulated strictly like drugs.

ENDS are battery-powered devices used to smoke or “vape” a flavoured solution containing a varying concentration of nicotine, an addictive chemical found in cigarettes and other forms of tobacco products.

e-cigarette is the most common type of ENDS that produces an aerosolised mixture of the flavoured liquids and nicotine which is inhaled by the user. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances. Other ENDS products are heat-not-burn devices, vape, e-sheesha and e-nicotine flavoured hookahs which are currently being marketed all over the country.

The ministry moved against ENDS after a recent research by the Indian Council of Medical Research recommended a complete ban on ENDS in India.

“Based on current data, ICMR recommends complete prohibition on ENDS or e-cigarettes in India. ENDS contain nicotine solution which is highly addictive and also contain other ingredients as flavouring agents and vapourisers which are also harmful. Use of e-cigarettes causes adverse effects on humans which include DNA damage; carcinogenesis; cellular, molecular and immunological toxicity; respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological disorders and adverse impact on foetal development and pregnancy,” research authors JK Chakma and Ravi Dhaliwal say.

Although ENDS are being marketed as tobacco cessation devices, ICMR, India’s apex health research body says the utility of ENDS for tobacco cessation is not firmly established.

The government seeks to ban ENDS after previously issuing an advisory asking states to ensure nicotine containing ENDS devices are not sold online or otherwise and not manufactured, distributed, traded or imported.

The world over, 30 countries have already banned ENDS. Among states, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Mizoram J&K, UP and Bihar have prohibited the manufacture, sale, and import of ENDS products.

In India, nicotine is prohibited for use as an ingredient in any food item. The Drugs Act permits the use of nicotine up to 2 mg and 4 mg in gums, lozenges and strips, which may be used as aids for Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

“Every product containing nicotine in prescribed quantities has to be manufactured under a valid drug manufacturing licence and a valid sales licence for products containing more than 2 mg of nicotine. ENDS are not approved as nicotine replacement therapy under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Health being a state subject, the Centre had earlier issued an advisory asking them to ensure ENDS are not sold. But there is reasonable cause for Central action now for which ways are being mulled,” a government source said. One way is to define ENDS as drugs paving the way for their regulation like medicines.

BOXES

Knowing ENDS

-Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes are battery-powered devices used to smoke or ‘vape’, a flavoured solution containing a varying concentration of nicotine, an addictive chemical found in cigarettes and other forms of tobacco products. e-cigarettes are the most common prototypes.

-ENDS are made in a way as to resemble conventional tobacco products like cigarettes, pipes and cigars.

-There are more than 460 different e-cigarette brands with varied configuration of nicotine delivery available in the market – examples cigar-likes (first generation), tank systems (second generation) and personal vaporisers (third generation) with over 7,700 flavours.

30 countries have banned it

The world over, 30 countries have already banned ENDS. Among states, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Mizoram J&K, UP and Bihar have prohibited the manufacture, sale, and import of ENDS products.