THE MINISTRY of Health and Family Welfare has informed the Delhi High Court that it is in the process of formally banning e-cigarettes in larger public interest as its chief constituent nicotine is addictive and can lead to diseases, besides risk of miscarriage in pregnant women. The ministry told this to a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar, who were hearing a plea seeking to regulate the sale and consumption of e-cigarettes.
The ministry said “nicotine addiction through e-cigarettes among young people may lead to its consumer to try conventional tobacco products and hence is a gateway product”.
The ministry was responding to a plea by Seema Sehgal, a homemaker, who sought directions to the governments to formulate guidelines for sale, production and supply of the product.
Delhi government’s additional standing counsel Sanjoy Ghose told the court that they were also planning to ban it.