Kerala: Govt decides to ban e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes are handy devices that emit doses of vaporised nicotine.

An official release here today said that there were media reports that the e-cigarette market was flourishing in Kerala targeting youth and children.

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The state drugs enforcement authorities had also found that the device is widely used for smoking ganja, hashish and other narcotic substance.

It was also found that use of e-cigarettes among children would result in indiscriminate use of original cigarettes and other substances in the long run, it said.

A series of studies conducted in the US and Japan has proved that the usage of e-cigarette would cause cancer and heart ailments.

The e-cigarettes are being marketed in Kerala through unauthorised courier services and online sites, it said.

An expert committee appointed by the Centre to study the ill effects of e-cigarette had recommended banning the device in the country in 2014 itself, the release said, adding that the Indian Medical Association was also in favour of banning it.