The Central government has cautioned media houses against promoting e-cigarettes at any events organised by them.
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has written to newspapers, private TV channels, digital media platforms, and OTT platforms regarding the same. “It has been brought to the notice by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that in a recently organized Business Summit in New Delhi by a prominent Media House, the forum was apparently used to promote electronic cigarettes,” the letter written on Monday read.
The letter said the promotion of such products marks a violation of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019.
“The Print, Electronic and Digital Media entities are accordingly advised to ensure that the aforementioned statute is not contravened either by way of advertisement or any promotion or other campaigns etc,” it said.
Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices that produce an aerosol by heating a solution containing nicotine, which is the addictive substance in combustible cigarettes.
They include all forms of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, Heat Not Burn Products, e-Hookah and the like devices.
These novel products come with attractive appearances and multiple flavours and their use has increased exponentially and has acquired epidemic proportions in developed countries, especially among youth and children. (ANI)
