E-Cigarettes Have Been Classified as "Drugs"!

In a country with over 100 million smokers, classifying e-cigarettes as "drugs" has stirred up quite a controversy.

Suddenly, discussions erupted around the question, "Why are tobacco companies still free while e-cigarettes are classified as drugs?"

This tobacco-consuming giant is India.
 

According to a report from the Press Trust of India, the Indian Drug Technical Advisory Board has passed a recommendation for the country to regulate electronic nicotine delivery systems (or devices), classifying them as "drugs" and banning their sale in India.

Under Sections 26A and 10A of the Indian Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940, this proposal aims to prohibit the sale, manufacture, import, and distribution of all devices.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) strongly recommended this move, suggesting a "complete ban" on tobacco sticks.

Moreover, the council stated that such devices could become a gateway to smoking and may lead non-smokers to become addicted to nicotine.
 

In 2017, after investigating the effects of smoking, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that tobacco sticks are as addictive as combustible cigarettes, contradicting nearly all toxicology studies conducted worldwide.

In fact, many scientists believe that tobacco sticks carry only 5% of the risk of regular cigarettes. A detailed report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine emphasized that there is evidence suggesting that e-cigarettes "reduce users' exposure to a large number of toxic substances and carcinogens present in combustible tobacco." E-cigarettes are even encouraged by the UK's National Health Service as an acceptable alternative to smoking.
 

Despite India's classification of e-cigarettes alongside "drugs" like cannabis or cocaine, many believe that the Indian e-cigarette industry will not undergo significant changes.

"We will have to smoke in a 'black market', just like those who actually use drugs," said one smoker. "You can make it at home with vegetable glycerin and flavorings; coils can be made from stainless steel, and batteries are sold openly, so we will continue to smoke because e-cigarettes like JUUL are easy to hide."

Many speculate that the motivation behind such legislation is to prevent multinational companies from rapidly growing their sales of devices, establishing a monopoly in the Indian market, as local sellers face regulatory barriers. Given that tobacco production and sales account for nearly 2% of India's tax revenue and employ nearly 7 million people, from farmers to producers, eliminating the closest competitors to the tobacco industry makes sense.

Some smokers also believe that the ban will not mean much in India, "because there are areas with alcohol bans, and people still find ways to bring alcohol home, but this will mean that safety and standards cannot be ensured, putting consumers at higher risk and affecting public perception of these products. This could slow the transition of smokers from deadly combustible products to less harmful ways of nicotine intake, which has an overall negative impact on public health."