India Bans Carrying E-Cigarettes on Airplanes

Since last September, when India banned the production, manufacturing, and promotion of e-cigarettes in the country, the government has now decided to prohibit carrying e-cigarettes on airplanes.

According to a recent notice from the Indian aviation safety regulatory authority—the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)—the use of e-cigarettes is not allowed on domestic and international flights as well as at airports. The notice states:

"The production, manufacturing, import, export, transportation, sale, distribution, storage, etc., of any form of e-cigarettes, including electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), non-combustible products, electronic hookahs, and similar devices, regardless of their name, shape, size, or form, is prohibited in airports and other venues."

This ban will have a significant impact on international e-cigarette manufacturers (such as Juul Labs and Philip Morris), as they have been hoping to expand their business into the Indian market. Juul Labs even recruited locals to hold senior executive positions to improve relations with the Indian government.

Currently, India has over 100 million adult smokers, with approximately 900,000 dying each year from tobacco-related diseases.