ALLAHABAD: A boatman rests on his boat in the flooded Ganges river under the Shastri bridge at Daraganj Ghat. _ AFP

NEW DELHI:
India's health ministry has proposed a ban on the production and import of
electronic cigarettes, documents seen by Reuters showed, potentially
jeopardizing the expansion plans of big firms like Juul Labs and Philip Morris
International. The ministry has proposed that the government issue an executive
order banning the devices in the public interest, saying it was needed to
ensure e-cigarettes don't become an "epidemic" among children and
young adults. "E-cigarettes and similar technologies that encourage
tobacco use or adversely impact public health are hazardous for an active as
well as passive user," the health ministry said in an internal note seen
by Reuters that the federal cabinet is expected to consider.

Health officials
are proposing jail terms of up to three years, with a penalty of up to 500,000
rupees ($7,000), for repeat offenders against the new rules, according to a
draft of the executive order. First-time offenders would face a prison term of
up to one year and a fine of 100,000 rupees. Such orders are typically issued
in India as an emergency measure when parliament is not in session. It can
lapse if it is not approved when lawmakers convene against in the next session,
which will most likely be held around November.

It was not
immediately clear whether the draft executive order will face changes, or when
it will be approved. India's health ministry did not respond to a request for
comment from Reuters. The ministry's plans would deal a blow to US-based Juul
Labs Inc, which is hoping to launch its e-cigarette in India and has hired
several senior executives in recent months. Philip Morris also has plans to
launch its heat-not-burn smoking device in India, Reuters has reported.

Advocates for the
devices say e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking tobacco, because
users do not inhale the same dangerous matter. But many tobacco-control
activists are opposed to e-cigarettes, saying they could lead to nicotine
addiction and push people to consume tobacco. "There is evidence that
these products are a gateway to tobacco products and induce adolescents and
young adults to nicotine use leading to addiction," the health ministry
said in the document.

Lucrative market

India has 106
million adult smokers, second only to China in the world, making it a lucrative
market for firms such as Juul and Philip Morris. More than 900,000 people die
each year in the country due to tobacco-related illnesses. Sixteen state governments
in India have prohibited e-cigarettes but there is as yet no federal
legislation to deal with what the health ministry termed the "hazardous
product". Justifying its call for a ban, the health ministry argued that
e-cigarettes can also be used as delivery devices for other substances such as
cannabis, and could promote dual use with conventional cigarettes.

"These
devices are injurious to health and proliferation of these products has a
negative impact on public health," the draft said. Reuters reported in
March the health ministry had called for Juul's entry into India to be blocked,
saying such products were "addictive and could potentially undermine our
tobacco control efforts". Juul, whose sleek vaping devices that resemble
USB flash drives have become a sensation in the United States, has previously
said it aims to improve the lives of smokers by offering a "satisfying
alternative to combustible cigarettes". - Reuters