Important advisory from centre to states regarding e-cigarettes, know here

In modern times, people are using and smoking electronic cigarettes, commonly known as e-cigarettes. Recently, the Central government has issued an important advisory to all States regarding e-cigarettes.

The government has urged all state governments to provide details regarding the accessibility of e-cigarettes on both online retail platforms and physical stores via a dedicated portal.

It is worth mentioning that the sale and use of electronic cigarettes in India were banned by the Union government in 2019. To facilitate the process, the government launched the portal www.violation-reporting.in in May this year.

The primary objective of this portal is to aid the Union Health Ministry in collecting information and promptly addressing any reported violations related to e-cigarettes.

In a letter addressed to states and Union Territories, the Ministry emphasised that online violations under COTPA-2003 and PECA-2019 should be reported on www.violation-reporting.in.

Moreover, the Ministry has issued clear directives to various entities such as manufacturers, importers, exporters, distributors, advertisers, transporters (including couriers), social media websites, online shopping platforms, shopkeepers, and retailers.

These entities are strictly prohibited from any involvement in the production, manufacture, import, export, transportation, sale, distribution, or storage of e-cigarettes, whether as a complete product or any part thereof.

Despite these measures, there seems to be a lack of awareness about the web portal where anyone can report violations of PECA and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act-2003.

To tackle this issue, the Union Health Ministry has recently taken action against 15 websites that were found selling e-cigarettes.

The Ministry issued notices to these websites, directing them to immediately stop the advertisement and sale of these banned products.