Government of India, in recent years has been taking strict measures to control tobacco and nicotine consumption. Several initiatives in the area have paid positive dividends, albeit few others like the ban on ENDS— Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems can downsize the impact of these very measures. In India, under law of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulation, 2011, nicotine as an ingredient in any form is prohibited, and therefore ENDS, which also includes E-cigarettes has been declared as drugs.
As per Indian Journal of Medical Research, ENDS are being marketed as alternatives to regular smoking; but nonetheless produce an aerosolized mixture of the flavored liquids and nicotine, which is one of the most addictive substances. Marketing of ENDS is seen as a backdoor entry of nicotine substances and seen to pose more of harm with high potential to cause addiction and health risks. However, this is a misconception, says research led by Public Health England (PHE) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). These reports highlight the relative safety of e-cigarettes to direct smoking, and function more like nicotine replacement therapy, especially in context of tobacco. Evidence suggests that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking as they don’t contain tobacco or involve combustion.
In fact, there is no carbon monoxide, tar or even smoke, with several other studies having found much lower levels than in normal cigarettes. Thus, ENDS don’t pose major dangers to health, such as no increase in risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease. Cancer Research UK in a joint statement with several health organizations including Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), has even outlined a shared agreement that ENDS, specifically e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than smoking.
In many ways, increased E-cigarettes are an important development given their relatively less harmful effects as suggested above. While there is ambiguity about exactly how harmful e-cigarettes are, the consensus is that they are dramatically less hazardous than cigarettes as they have no smoke, tar or tobacco.
Interestingly, e-cigarette products somehow have become more about making statement than solely about smoking nicotine. They are particularly attractive to teenagers due to their flavoring and status as a fad. There is therefore a need to generate awareness around the ENDS products solely as smoking cessation means and dispersing its “cult status”. It needs to be highlighted that ENDS in fact aids the regular smokers, enabling them to replace hazardous nicotine products, therefore making it use worthy to some extent.
The International Tobacco Control Project estimates that approximately 900,000 Indians die every year of tobacco-related diseases, and this number is expected to reach 1.5 million by 2020. To remedy this, and abide by WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, India seeks not only to ban its manufacturing in the country but also stop its import and sale. This is viable under its Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and in the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989.
While the increase in e-cigarette usage among school goers is concerning, this blanket ban on all ENDS products however will have limited effects on vaping rates among young people and all the while victimizing those who are already addicted to nicotine. In this light, government then instead of banning these less harmful products should focus on restricting the sale of these ENDS to teenager and adolescent population. An age limit restriction can help solve the predicament of the government and those already caught in the vicious circle. Notably, e-cigarette ban ignores majority of users who are not minors or adolescents, many of whom use vaping as a means to quit smoking. Next, A forceful ban on ENDS inadvertently promotes sale of regular cigarettes. The ban then completely belies its very purpose.
As it stands today, E-cigarettes are a safer nicotine product which can reduce regular smoking even amongst those severely addicted. A blanket ban on ENDS, more specifically e-cigarettes, will only worsen the situation and instead of meeting the purpose will rather undermine it and catalyze the growth of nicotine addiction. Thus, the government needs to reconsider the blanket ban and look at ways of further transform the regular smokers to kick the habit.