A Union cabinet approval for banning import, sale and production of e-cigarettes has triggered an intense debate over the concern shown to health risks of people, especially youth. There are, however, two sides to this debate. The backgrounder is that more than 9 lakh people die each year in India due to tobacco-related illnesses. Cigarettes and chewable tobacco, which are linked to cancer, lung and heart ailments and even strokes, continue to be freely sold. Despite all the awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco use, there is very little that is done to discourage or ban cigarette smoking. Moreover, e-cigarettes are understood to be not as harmful as cigarettes and on the contrary believed to be helping smokers eventually kick the tobacco habit. This is where the government’s intent is being questioned.
The second argument is that vaping is slowly taking a grip on the youth, especially students, and Goa is not an exception. The notion that vaping is harmless has only encouraged youngsters who have kept away from actual smoking, to try this option. A study has claimed that a single dose of e-cigarette could be harmful to the body’s blood vessels.
E-cigarettes, which are mostly imported, are battery-operated electronic devices which use a heating element to vaporize liquid nicotine fitted in the form of cartridges that the user inhales with no burning of tobacco.
A complete ban on e-cigarettes is a step in the right direction, but the government will be at a loss of words to justify the prohibition when it has been a silent spectator to a bigger evil of smoking. The seriousness with which the government has approached this issue is visible with violators liable to be punished with a jail term of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh. Compare this to the other mild penalties on gutka and paan violators.
Goa has seen steady popularity of e-cigarettes along its beach belt. The question is whether the State is up for the ban, given its dismal track record against similar bans. Currently, there is a ban on manufacture, possession, distribution and sale of gutka, paan masala and chewing tobacco products in Goa. Keeping the health of its people in mind, the Manohar Parrikar government in May 2017 indicated that it will crackdown on people violating the ban. Sixteen months later these products are as readily available as cigarettes at every nook and corner shops. Authorities have failed to crack the whip even though it is consumed openly by a sizeable migrant population in the State.
Goa now faces a challenging situation with e-cigarettes which are more popular with local youth and tourists. Incidentally, a vast majority of parents and senior citizens are unaware of the dangers of e-cigarettes, with some in the dark even over their existence. There is a need to create awareness first. Goa is not in a position now to touch anything that hurts its tourism interest and that is why various industry-related evils have gone untouched. With a poor track record on gutka ban, the e-cigarette prohibition announced by the Centre is unlikely to have any impact in Goa.
