WHO ON E-CIGARETTES (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, the World Health Organization highlighted that E-cigarettes, as consumer products, have not been shown to be effective for quitting tobacco use at the population level. 

Key Points of WHO 

• 34 countries have implemented a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes, while 88 countries have no minimum age restrictions for purchasing these products. 
• Additionally, 74 countries lack regulations to control the harmful effects of e-cigarettes.
• In India, the possession of e-cigarettes is considered a violation of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarette Act, 2019.
• According to data children aged 13-15 are using e-cigarettes at higher rates than adults across all WHO regions.
• In Canada, the rates of e-cigarette use among 16 to 19-year-olds have doubled between 2017 and 2022, while in the U.K., the number of young users has tripled over the past three years.

E-cigarettes

• About: It is a battery-operated vaporizer designed to emulate the act of tobacco smoking. Its mechanism involves heating a nicotine-infused liquid known as "juice."
• E-cigarettes encompass potentially hazardous elements, including heavy metals such as lead, volatile organic compounds, and carcinogenic agents.
• E-cigarettes contain nicotine but not tobacco, they do not fall under the purview of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA). 
• Composition of an e-cigarette: Nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerine, flavorings, and various other chemicals.