Day after doctors’ call for review, AIIMS reiterates support for e-cigarette ban Day after doctors’ call for review, AIIMS reiterates support for e-cigarette ban

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has reiterated its opposition to all forms of tobacco and nicotine use, including e-cigarettes and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), stressing that only studies reviewed and adopted by its expert committees or management reflect its official position.

In a statement issued on Sunday, AIIMS clarified that comments made by individual doctors should not be interpreted as the institute’s stance.

The clarification follows a commentary by AIIMS-Delhi oncologists Dr Abhishek Shankar and Dr Vaibhav Sahni in IJCO Global Oncology, which called for a relook at India’s 2019 Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act. They argued that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes could aid smoking cessation and curb illicit demand, especially when compared to a total-abstinence policy.

The authors drew parallels with the United Kingdom’s harm-reduction approach, endorsed by Public Health England, which regards vaping as significantly less harmful than smoking in the short to medium term. They also warned of risks from unregulated products and noted the continued availability of ENDS through informal and online channels.

Under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, the production, import, sale and advertising of e-cigarettes is banned in India.

“AIIMS has always taken a clear stance against smoking and nicotine use, including e-cigarettes. We support prevention, regulation and cessation — not replacement with unregulated alternatives,” AIIMS Director M Srinivas said.

The institute cautioned against “promoting, or even casually accepting, ENDS and e-cigarettes, especially among youth,” stressing that marketing such products as safe alternatives is misleading. It further stated that its position aligns with the government’s tobacco-control policies and warned against deceptive advertising of e-cigarettes as a “safe alternative”, particularly when used in unregulated or recreational settings.