Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced a blanket ban on the production, export, import, transport and, of course, the sale of e-cigarettes in India, after consulting a group of ministers on the issue. She stated that the government wanted to reduce the health risks that e-cigarettes and similar products posed to the youth.
But this also means that, if you are addicted to nicotine and were relying on e-cigarettes to slowly wean off of your nicotine dependency, you may have to put your faith entirely in your willpower to quit cigarettes. Which is easier said than done, as cigarettes and other non electronic forms of tobacco, have not been banned. Something that the Twitterati pointed out in droves.
Great Move, But Why Not Ban Cigarettes Altogether?
E-Cigs: Health Risk or Risk to Indian Tobacco Industry?
Some also wondered if this ban was really triggered by a concern for public health, and why the Finance Minister was involved in the matter instead of the Health Ministry?
When Have Bans Ever Worked?
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