Sale of e-cigarettes goes on unabated

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 11

Youngsters in the district are getting addicted to e-cigarettes and flavoured hookahs. Despite a ban on both, their sale is continuing unabated. 

Various pan shops were selling the banned products, purportedly hand in glove with officials of the District Health Department, said sources.

Pan shops at Leela Bhawan, Railway Crossing No. 22, Triveni Chowk, Arya Samaj locality and under Flyover No.21 were seen selling the banned products.

An e-cigarette is being sold from Rs 900 to Rs 2,800, while the price of flavoured hookah starts from Rs 500.

In August last year, the Central Government had issued an advisory to all states and union territories, not to allow the sale, distribution and consumption of e-cigarettes, vape, flavoured hookahs, e-sheesha and e-nicotine products in the larger interest of people. 

Punjab was the first state in the country to implement the advisory in October 2018. 

Assistant Health Officer Dr Malkiat Singh said, “There is a complete ban on the sale of e-cigarettes in Punjab. We are not aware of such activity, but will take action if someone files a complaint.”

Meanwhile, State Nodal Tobacco Officer Dr Narlep Kaur said, “We have been conducting raids in Patiala. We will form a team and conduct more raids in the coming days.”   

What is e-cigarette

An e-cigarette is a battery-powered vaporiser, which simulates the experience of an actual cigarette without using tobacco. Instead of tobacco, e-cigarette produces vapours by heating a liquid, which contains a mix of nicotine and some chemicals.