India's E-cigarette Ban Jeopardizes Smokers' Access to Safer Alternatives
On October 12th, the official website of the World E-cigarette Association published a commentary article titled "India: How Far Can the E-cigarette Ban Go?". The article highlights how India's smoking ban policy has deprived 270 million tobacco users in India of their right to access safer nicotine alternatives.
According to the article, the Indian Ministry of Health has recently clarified its strict ban on owning e-cigarettes. What is even more concerning is that the authorities have launched a portal where citizens can accuse their fellow countrymen of violating this law by possessing e-cigarettes, and even track them during ongoing investigations.
The Indian e-cigarette association is seeking consultation from legal experts to understand whether the government policy (banning the possession of e-cigarettes) can be reinterpreted officially, especially in regards to categorizing millions of Indians who attempt to quit smoking through e-cigarettes as criminals. If necessary, the Indian e-cigarette association will support legal challenges against this new interpretation.
The World Vaping Association has urged the Indian government to reconsider its ineffective ban on e-cigarettes and instead formulate practical harm reduction strategies that respect the choices of adult consumers. This would enable them to shift towards less harmful alternatives and significantly improve public health in the country.
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