Odisha Bans e-Cigarettes, Nicotine Flavoured Hookahs

Bhubaneswar: Are you fond of e-Cigarettes or e-Sheesha? Bad news for you, if you are living in Odisha.

The state government has issued a gazette notification that completely bans the use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) such as e-Cigarettes, Heat-Not-Burn devices, Vape, e-Sheesha, e-Nicotine Flavoured Hookah and like products.

The government has directed the police and the Health department to immediately raid all shops, trading establishments and manufacturing units and seize these ENDS items under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

#Why Now

The Health department has received several complaints on the use of ENDS items in some parts of the state including the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Besides, the advertisements of e-cigarettes by manufacturing companies were put up at some places in Bhubaneswar, drawing protests from several quarters.

The Health department and the commissionerate police recently decided at a meeting to ban the use of e-cigarettes and e-nicotine flavoured hookah.

#What Are ENDS

ENDS are the devices that heat a solution to create an aerosol, which also contains flavours, usually dissolved into propylene Glycolor/and Glycerin. Electronic cigarettes, the most common prototype, are devices that do not burn or use tobacco leaves but instead vaporize a solution, which the user then inhales.

The main constituents of the solution, in addition to nicotine (when it is present) are propylene glycol, with or without glycerol and flavouring agents.

#Whats The Harm

ENDS solutions and emissions contain chemicals some of which are considered to be toxicants.

Available scientific evidence indicates that ENDS and similar technologies that offer alternatives to intake nicotine are hazardous for active as well as passive users and have an adverse impact on public health.

This was the conclusion of eminent doctors, specialists, scientists and officers of health and drugs departments at a roundtable discussion hosted by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in 2014.