India’s cabinet has approved an executive order banning vaping products because of their impact on young people. This ban comes just a day after China delisted e-cigarettes on its major commerce sites and after New York became the second US state to prohibit the use of flavoured e-cigarettes.
India is the world’s second largest consumer of tobacco products after China. Therefore, tobacco companies seeking to enter the world’s largest smoking markets are hampered by these bans.
Although there has been a small but steady decline in the number of smokers globally, the number of vapers have increased rapidly (from seven million in 2011 to 41 million in 2018). Supporters of the ban argue that the varied vaping flavours appeal particularly to the young and puts them at greater risk of being addicted to nicotine.
Read the full article on The BBC: India e-cigarettes: Ban announced to prevent youth ‘epidemic’
Analysis:
Does vaping help nicotine addicts kick the habit? Vaping uses a mixture of nicotine, water, solvents and flavours and has been touted as an alternative to smoking which can help addicts quit. However, there has been inconclusive evidence on vaping’s impact on health. In the dearth of any evidence that vaping is harmful for one’s personal health, proponents of vaping have argued that the ban would encourage ex-smokers to take up the habit again.
Does the ban adequately protect the interests of the youth and young children? Although vaping products have been banned, traditional tobacco products have not been banned. Notwithstanding that there is a minimum age required to purchase traditional cigarettes, youths who are insistent on having their nicotine addiction met are still able to obtain their kick from illicit means.
Therefore, the broader question is whether regulation or an outright ban is to be preferred. In the case of regulation, the government would have greater oversight, and can set out minimum age requirements or tax the distribution models of the cigarette manufacturers. However, in the case of a ban, there is a risk that consumers may resort to the black market to obtain the banned goods.
Questions for further personal evaluation:
- Do you agree with India’s ban of vaping products? Why or why not? If you disagree, what do you think should have been done instead?
- How can we better protect youths from the harmful effects of traditional tobacco products? Are there other segments of the population that we should be protecting as well?
Useful vocabulary:
- ‘dearth’: an inadequate supply; lack
- ‘executive order’: executive orders are used when its parliament is out of session; parliamentarians will have to reauthorize the ban when it reconvenes