- BJP has accused a TMC MP of smoking an e-cigarette inside the Lok Sabha. With e-cigarettes banned in India, the incident has raised fresh questions. Here is what e-cigarettes are, their risks, and what the law says if someone is found with one.
- Just what are e-cigarettes?
- How dangerous are e-cigarettes?
- What is the consequence for a person found using an e-cigarette in India?
BJP has accused a TMC MP of smoking an e-cigarette inside the Lok Sabha. With e-cigarettes banned in India, the incident has raised fresh questions. Here is what e-cigarettes are, their risks, and what the law says if someone is found with one.
Amid heated debates in the Parliament’s Winter Session, one unexpected moment stole the show on Thursday. BJP MP Anurag Thakur accused a Trinamool Congress MP of smoking e-cigarette in the Lok Sabha, despite them being banned in India. He raised the issue in the House, urging the Speaker to take cognisance of the alleged violation. In this article, we take a look at what e-cigarettes are, their risks, and what the Indian law says if someone is found with one.
Just what are e-cigarettes?
E-cigarettes, also referred to as vapes, are a battery-powered device that heats a liquid into a vapour that is inhaled by users. The liquid typically contains nicotine, flavouring and other chemicals. They had been pitched originally as a “safer” alternative to smoking conventional cigarettes. But experts around the world have repeatedly warned that they are anything but harmless.
The government banned the sale, manufacture, import, and distribution of e-cigarettes in 2019 amid rising concerns that they were harming young users and fuelling addiction.
How dangerous are e-cigarettes?
E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco, but the use of them has serious risks nonetheless. Most vaping liquids contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and affects brain development in teenagers and young adults. The vapour also carries chemicals that may irritate the lungs, trigger breathing issues and possibly contribute to long-term respiratory problems.
Several studies have shown that vaping may raise the risk of heart disease, harm blood vessels and damage the lungs. Overseas, severe lung injuries linked to e-cigarette use have also been reported in rare cases. One thing that health agencies in India and in other parts of the world agree on is that vaping is not risk-free.
What is the consequence for a person found using an e-cigarette in India?
Because e-cigarettes are banned in India, being found in possession of an e-cigarette may bring about legal implications. With the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, the fines may be imposed for a person in possession of an e-cigarette device or refill. Those found selling, distributing, or storing them may also face harsher penalties, even imprisonment.
