Despite the formal ban on e-cigarettes in India by the Electronic Cigarette Prohibition Act of 2019, the sale of these devices continues to flourish, particularly in urban areas where they have become a status symbol among young people. Paan shops and hookah shops, particularly in the capital, continue to offer imported vapes, mainly from China, openly defying the ban.
A study titled “Adolescents and Electronic Cigarettes in India: A Qualitative Study of Perceptions and Practices”, published by the National Library of Medicine in September 2022, sheds light on the culture of vaping among adolescents.
This study reveals that young people perceive electronic cigarettes as relatively harmless, mainly due to their lack of awareness of the negative health effects.
Initiation to vaping is often influenced by friends, peers or siblings, and the variety of flavors as well as the ability to perform tricks with vapor are among the reasons cited for its continued use.
Despite the ban, access to Chinese brands such as IGET, Vapesoul and DYB has never been easier. Traders at Defense Colony's main market, which is home to several hookah shops selling a range of products including cigarettes, shisha, paan and vapes, admit to regular visits and even raids by police. However, these interventions do not dissuade them from selling these banned devices.
Merchants acknowledge the illegality of vapes in India but continue to sell them, arguing that without these sales, their stores would have to close for lack of revenue. Some claim to have only started selling vapes recently, although customers claim to have been buying them since 2022. Vapes range in price from Rs 1 to Rs 000, offering up to 3 puffs and available in a wide range of flavors.
Another study published by the National Library of Medicine in January 2023 titled “Electronic Cigarettes: A Continuing Challenge to Public Health in India Despite Comprehensive Bans” examines the behavior of educated young adults towards electronic cigarettes. It reveals that, despite comprehensive bans aimed at protecting young people from the harms linked to vaping, they are still able to access e-cigarettes in India.
The health effects of vaping, including risks of pulmonary fibrosis, bronchitis, lung damage and infections, as well as increased heart rate and blood pressure due to nicotine, highlight the urgency of targeted actions on both demand and supply to prevent vaping from becoming a major health challenge in India. This situation would call for increased public awareness, stricter enforcement of bans and systematic support for those who wish to quit vaping, in order to prevent the negative impacts of vaping on public health in India.
Hummm it’s certain, in India before electronic cigarettes, young people did like their parents…clove cigarettes, which are certainly less conducive to pulmonary fibrosis, bronchitis, lung damage, increased heart rate, blood pressure, etc.
Let us pray that this type of behavior, bans and information does not spread in our territories.
Vapoteurs.net #JSV more than ever!
