E-cigarettes are readily available at tobacco shops and are sold to anyone without age verification. This has been revealed in a joint survey. The findings of this survey have been shared with the Union Health Ministry.
The survey was conducted in Assam, Goa, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Delhi. The survey also found that when e-cigarettes are ordered online (through e-commerce, website, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and other social media), it is delivered within two-three days and This sale is done without age verification.
According to this survey, most vendors are not aware that e-cigarettes are banned by law, thus e-cigarettes are sold openly and most e-cigarettes are produced in China.
Voluntary Health Association of India, VOICE, Nadda India, National Law School University India, Bangalore and Karnataka No Four Tobacco have conducted this survey.
According to this survey, despite the ban imposed by the government in 2019, e-cigarettes are easily available at tobacco shops and even children below 18 years of age can easily buy them.
This survey has been done online and offline. It has been found during the survey that e-cigarettes are available at tobacco shops near educational institutions and some shopkeepers not only sell such products but also deliver them at home on demand basis.
Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, chief executive of the Voluntary Health Association of India, said e-cigarettes have been banned to protect children from harmful addiction, but the ban is lax, resulting in cheap, unbranded cigarettes being widely available in the market. In such a situation, there is a need for a coordinated effort at the central and state level, so that this ban can be effective.
