M Peerzada
Srinagar, July 28: The Union Health Ministry has launched an online portal to facilitate reporting of e-cigarettes and the portal has been launched to tackle the offences, officials said.
The portal has been launched to facilitate reporting of violations under Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage, and Advertisement) Act (PECA).
Officials said despite the ban imposed by the Union government in 2019, e-cigarettes continue to be sold on e-commerce sites, even to children below 18 in J&K through e-commerce sites and some physical stores.
An official said the government has been working hard to completely block the sale of e-cigarettes, and several steps are being taken in this regard.
Dr Mir Mushtaq, Nodal Officer State Tobacco Control Cell, Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, said the ministry has designed the portal to report violations regarding the online sale of e-cigarettes, and Tobacco Control Unit Srinagar had integrated a website with the portal.
“If anyone who finds any violation in this regard, whether online or offline, can report it on the website and appropriate action will be taken under the law,” he said.
The Nodal Officer said anyone can report the violation through a simple 5-step online process and can upload a screenshot of e-commerce sites where the sale is being done.
“Once a person reports the violation, a unique ID will be created through which they can track and check the status along with the action taken on the complaint,” he said.
He said that the mechanism is totally secure, and the identity of the complainant won’t be disclosed. This initiative will help in completely blocking the sale of e-cigarettes.
Electronic cigarettes and similar devices are battery-operated systems that heat a substance (in liquid or solid state), which contains nicotine and often flavors, to create an aerosol for inhalation.
The Union government banned electronic cigarettes and similar devices via the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, due to their harmful effects and increasing use among youth.
E-cigarette aerosol, inhaled and exhaled by users, may contain harmful substances like nicotine and chemicals such as diacetyl, linked to serious lung disease. Additionally, ultrafine particles can be deeply inhaled into the lungs.
According to the National Health Survey, J&K ranks as the sixth highest state in India for tobacco consumption, following the North Eastern States of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.
Officials also said all the heads of the Health Department were provided challan books and signage for enforcement but there was “no sign of implementation” on the ground.
Health officials said the lack of exclusive manpower in districts is a major challenge for the health department in terms of enforcement. Although the government has imposed a blanket ban on e-cigarettes and loose cigarettes, the sale of loose cigarettes continues rampantly.
Tobacco use is associated with accelerated mortality among adults, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.
