CHENNAI : The Tamil Nadu Government is likely to come up with a notification banning e-cigarettes anytime. The prohibition will be imposed with immediate effect of the publication of the notification, officials say.Health minister C Vijaya Baskar announced in the Assembly on June 14 that “Electronic-Cigarette, a battery-operated inhaler that emits doses of vaporised nicotine, or non-nicotine solutions, will be banned in Tamil Nadu”.
Speaking to Express, Director of Public Health K Kolandaswamy said “The proposal had been sent to the law department for regular legal procedures. The procedures are over and the ban notification will be issued anytime. The ban will come into force immediately after the notification”.Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Union Health and Family Welfare ministry issued an advisory to all the States to ban Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) including e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn devices, Vape, e-Sheesha, e-Nicotine, flavoured hookah and like products, including online sale.
In its advisory, the ministry said “As such, the States/ Union Territories are advised, in larger public health interest and in order to prevent the initiation of ENDS by non-smokers and youth with special attention to vulnerable groups, to ensure that any ENDS, including e-cigarettes, heat-non-burn devices, Vape, e-Sheesha, e-Nicotine flavoured Hookah, and the like devices that enable nicotine delivery are not sold (including online sale)”.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu People’s Forum for Tobacco Control, an NGO, requested the State government to come up with a ban notification for online and off line sale and also all future technological products related to tobacco. It also stressed on stringent enforcement to ban the sale in shops.