WHO Urges India to Regulate Use of E-Cigarettes

Source from:  French Tribune (fr)  09/01/2014

E-cigarette market in India is growing at a rapid pace and to keep a check on their adoption, the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised serious concerns. WHO experts have added that the use of e-cigarettes is not less harmful compared to the traditional cigarettes.

In India, smoking devices are easily available through online shopping portals. Also, there is very little information out in the public domain about the ill-effects of e-cigarettes, as a lot of people have the misconception that e- cigarette is less harmful than the traditional one. Considering these facts, the WHO has urged India to push for regulations in the use of e-cigarettes.

Dr. Vinayak Mohan Prasad, project manager for Tobacco Control in WHO, in Switzerland, provided a better view of the situation in India. He stated that smart marketing moves by the e-cigarette manufacturers have gone a long way in the expansion of their use in India.

Besides this, the misconception that e-cigarettes are less harmful than the traditional cigarettes is widely believed by the Indian population. One of the main reasons behind this belief is inadequate information about the exact nicotine content in these e-cigarettes, which has let to increase in sales of e-cigarettes.

Dr. Prasad said, "In the absence of a regulation the use of e-cigarettes has grown; they are easily accessible to even the non smokers. These e-cigarettes are available in candy flavors, giving an impression they are not harmful. There should be a restriction on their use".

India is a major growing market for e-cigarettes with companies like ITC announcing a foray into e-cigarette manufacturing. This indeed is a matter of serious concern as these products contain nicotine and other chemicals along with a few cancer causing substances. Though these substances are present at a much lower level than a conventional cigarette, it doesn't mean that they are not present at all.

Also, there is not enough evidence to conclude that e-cigarettes help users quit smoking. In fact, a lot of non-smokers start using these cigarettes considering that these electronic cigarettes are harmless. Enditem