BENGALURU: The recently released advisory by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned about the urgent need to take an action in order to protect children and prevent the uptake of e-cigarettes.
Educationalists and doctors in the city say that despite the ban, there is a lack in enforcing the ban, as vendors at petty shops are openly selling the banned products without even checking the age criteria. Experts suggest that there is a need to adopt to newer ways of creating awareness.
Children between the age of 13 and 15 years are using e-cigarettes at a much higher rates than the adults, said the organisation. WHO released a statement on Dec 14 that e-cigarettes with nicotine are highly addictive and harmful.
Some of these toxic substances are known to cause cancer while others increase risk of heart and lung disorders. The use of e-cigarettes can also affect brain development and lead to learning disorders. Fetal exposure to e-cigarettes can adversely affect the development of the fetus. Exposure to emissions from e-cigarettes also poses risks to passive smokers.
“The sale of e-cigarettes is rampant in the city. It is as harmful as consuming a nicotine pill directly, especially for children,” said Vasudev Sharma, Executive Director, Child Rights Trust. He questioned the government for only sending notices but not ensuring that the rule is implemented.
Experts also noted that the idea of e-cigarettes being ‘less harmful’ than cigarettes is popular amongst the youth. Public health and policy expert Chandrakant Lahariya opined that with the types of nicotine availabile in the market, newer forms of interventions need to be introduced at school and college levels.
WHO also highlighted that even brief exposure to e-cigarette content on social media can be associated with increased intention to use these products. Studies also show that those who use e-cigarettes are three times more likely to use cigarettes later in life.