Summary:
But in Rajasthan e-cigarettes cannot only be ordered online, smuggled, but also sold in some shops.“Youth gets gravitated towards newer, cooler stuff. Jaipur: While young generation is now getting addicted to e-cigarettes , health department has written to ministry of medical, health and family welfare expressing willingness to curb its menace. In context of Rajasthan, e-cigarette is rather a new way to consume tobacco. It is a propaganda of other countries to destroy upcoming generations, we need to nip it in the bud by getting it banned before it becomes commonplace like regular cigarettes,” said Jayesh Joshi, a social activist. It has sought a clear roadmap and guidelines to have a foolproof workable strategy to curb electronic cigarette menace in the state.Also, it has constituted a committee of five doctors, which will prepare its report in 15 days on e-Cigarettes and its possible ill-effects on health of the users.Addressing Vikas Sheel, joint secretary of ministry of health and family welfare, Veenu Gupta, additional chief secretary (health) Rajasthan, mentioned in the letter, “To further reduce tobacco use among adolescents and to tackle the growing menace of electronic cigarettes in the state, our food and drug administration is exploring ways on the probable options and process to be adopted for prohibiting the manufacture, sale, storage, distribution and advertisement of electronic cigarettes in the state.”She added, “Since electronic cigarette devises are not enlisted in the category of specified drugs, we require clear roadmap and guidelines on the issue in order to have a foolproof workable strategy to curb electronic cigarette menace in the state.”However, a five-member committee has been formed comprising health department’s additional director (gazetted) Dr RS Chhipi, drug controller Rajaram Sharma, Sawai Man Singh Medical College associate professor (medical oncology) Dr Sandeep Jasuja, ENT department senior medical officer Dr Prabhat Saraf and SMS Medical College’s professor in TB and chest diseases Dr Nalin Joshi.“We have to present the report by June 15 which will cover all the aspects of e-Cigarettes,” said Dr Chhipi.However, social activists claimed that six states including Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, J&K, Mizoram & Maharashtra, have already banned e-cigarettes under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Food Safety & Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011..