The State government has prohibited the manufacture, sale (including online sale), distribution, trade, display, marketing, import and possession of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, popularly known as e-cigarettes, in Tamil Nadu.
The prohibition of e-cigarettes follows the Health and Family Welfare Minister announcing on the floor of the Assembly on June 14 the banning of e-cigarettes.
In a government order, the ill-effects of e-cigarettes are being circulated — that inhaling through the device is harmful as it contains nicotine, ultrafine particles and also has heavy metals. Also the myth that e-cigarettes are less harmful when compared with smoking tobacco has been busted, the order said. Defective e-cigarettes can lead to burns and in some cases also explode.
The ban advisory states that the use of e-cigarettes causes adverse health effects due to second-hand exposure to metals like nickel and chromium.
These poses a risk to non-smokers and bystanders. E-cigarettes is also dangerous to children and non-smokers.