The fight against e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn (HNB) products has got further impetus with Shalini Yadav, a social worker and BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh, joining the Mothers Against Vaping platform in protest against the growing prevalence of such health hazardous items among children and youth in India. This, despite these devices being banned in the country. The group is dedicated to combating the rise of these novel nicotine delivery products.
Yadav, a former Samajwadi Party leader who joined the BJP last year, warned that these products, are still being pushed into the country by foreign companies, leading to a new generation of nicotine users. She emphasized that these devices may seem attractive but are luring children into a dangerous addiction, which could also make them vulnerable to more harmful drugs.
The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, which came into force in 2019, bans the production, sale, and advertisement of e-cigarettes in India. The government has since taken steps to enforce the ban. However, with the Ministry of Health reporting 350 vape-related violations since 2022, there has been concern that black marketing of these health hazardous items continue to thrive.
“New-age addiction devices like electronic cigarettes and heat-not-burn products look cool and attractive but they are luring our children and causing a faster and more dangerous addiction to nicotine. Although these products are banned in India, foreign companies continue to push them into the country to create a new generation of nicotine users who also become vulnerable to even more dangerous usage of drugs.”
This is a conspiracy that we cannot ignore and has to be stopped. Immediate and decisive action has to be taken, or else this danger will not only destroy the future of our children but also of the country, she said.
Yadav called for immediate and decisive action to prevent further harm to the youth and the nation’s future. Yadav said that these nicotine delivery products, which appear attractive to young people but pose severe health risks, leading to faster and more dangerous addictions. She has called for immediate action to curb the rising threat of these devices, emphasizing that failure to do so will jeopardize the future of India’s youth.
Prominent figures from various fields, including Dr. Deepa Malik, Nandita Das, Baichung Bhutia, Dutee Chand, Neha Dhupia, and Kushboo Sundar, have joined the cause, supporting the fight against vaping and raising awareness about its dangers.
