India bans e-cigarettes

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Production, export, import, sale, transport or advertisements of e-cigarettes is now a cognizable offence in India and can attract a prison term of up to one year as well as a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

The government issued Thursday an ordinance to ban such alternative smoking devices.

According to the ordinance, subsequent offences may attract a jail term of up to three years and/or a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh.

Storage of electronic cigarettes henceforth will be punishable in India attracting a jail term of up to six moths and/or a fine of up to Rs 50,000.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Union Cabinet decided Wednesday to issue a ban on the production, export, import, sales and distribution of all kinds of e-cigarettes as the products post health risk and it is mostly used by the youth.

Meanwhile, on international platform, WarnerMedia, Viacom and CBS have banned the advertisements of e-cigarettes citing health crisis and global health concerns over a mysterious vaping-related lung disease that has hospitalized hundreds of smokers and taken lives of seven people.

WarnerMedia spokesperson said, “WarnerMedia reserves the right to withdraw advertising from its platforms at its discretion.”

Earlier this month Michigan banned flavored e-cigarettes and became the first US state to do so.