Punjab government bans flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes

Punjab government has banned the sale of flavoured tobacco and e-cigarettes with immediate effect throughout the state. This decision was taken in at a state-level coordination committee held in Chandigarh  as various firms were bypassing Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 by selling flavoured, scented tobacco and e-cigarettes in the state.
Under the new notification, even e-commerce companies can be booked as e-cigarettes contain nicotine in chemical form.
State-level coordination committee had expressed concern over sale of cigarettes near educational institutions, especially colleges and coaching institutes. They have strictly imposed ban on sale of tobacco within 200 metres of educational institutions.
Thus, Punjab has become the first state in the country to ban e-cigarettes and users of any other electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS). Under these new regulations, promoters will be prosecuted under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act for selling unapproved drugs and could end up serving a year in jail.

E-cigarette

It is a battery-powered vaporizer which has the feel of tobacco smoking.  They do not produce smoke like regular cigarette but rather an aerosol (mist), which is inaccurately referred to as vapor. They have a heating element that atomizes a liquid solution known as e-liquid. E-liquids are usually a mixture of propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine, and flavorings. Using an E-cigarette is called Vaping.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2014