Tamil Nadu bans sale of e-cigarettes

Chennai, September 15: With the intention of breaking and prohibiting the use of cigarettes, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to prohibit the manufacture, sale (including online sale), distribution, trade, display, marketing, import and possession of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, popularly known as e-cigarettes in the state.

The prohibition of e-cigarettes follows the Health and Family Welfare Minister announcing on the floor of the Assembly on June 14 the banning of e-cigarettes.

In a government order, the ill-effects of e-cigarettes are being circulated which states that inhaling through the device is harmful as it contains nicotine, ultrafine particles and also has heavy metals. Also, the myth that e-cigarettes are less harmful when compared with smoking tobacco has been busted, the order said. Defective e-cigarettes can lead to burns and in some cases also explode.

The ban advisory states that the use of e-cigarettes causes adverse health effects due to second-hand exposure to metals like nickel and chromium.

This poses a risk to non-smokers and bystanders. E-cigarettes is also dangerous to children and non-smokers. Welcoming the ban, the Tamil Nadu People’s Forum for Tobacco Control said, “The order will greatly strengthen tobacco control in our State and will also be a stepping stone for tobacco control laws at the national level.

More importantly, the order will protect the people, especially children and young adults from falling into the ills of tobacco.