E-cigarettes are banned in India under the Electronic Cigarette Ban Act, which came into effect in 2019 (representative image)
The worrying increase in e-cigarettes, vape accessories and heat-not-burn tobacco products has raised serious concerns, especially when it involves school-aged children in India
A group of teachers and principals from schools across the country have called for a fight against misinformation about new tobacco devices such as e-cigarettes and e-hookahs to protect school-aged children. The group called “Teachers Against Vaping”, in a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, has demanded industrialization of communication programs to spread awareness about the ill effects of e-cigarettes in all forms and educate teachers, parents and educate children about the recent clarifications in the law that prohibit the manufacture, sale and even possession of these devices.
Teachers say they are deeply concerned that international tobacco companies, driven by their search for new markets, are spreading misleading information portraying the new e-cigarettes as harmless or less harmful compared to smoking traditional cigarettes. The alarming rise of e-cigarettes, including vaping devices and heat-not-burn tobacco products, has become a matter of major concern, especially when it comes to school-aged children in India. The appeal of sleek, state-of-the-art vaping devices and the misinformation that these products are less harmful pose a major threat to our children, the letter said.
“We urgently need robust and proactive communication programs aimed at educating children, parents and educators about the adverse health effects of these products,” said Upasana Mittal, principal, Raghav Global School, Sector 122, Noida. DPS Gautam Budh Nagar director Supriti Chauhan believes that addiction to vaping and electronic nicotine delivery devices is a scourge with far-reaching consequences for our children.
“This problem extends beyond health concerns and has a significant impact on the educational environment in our schools. Despite the ban on e-cigarettes and vaping devices in our country, the misinformation being spread that they are less harmful is disturbing as it manipulates vulnerability among school-age children. We must urgently address this issue to not only protect the health of our children, but also to protect their educational journey,” she said. E-cigarettes were banned in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, which came into effect in 2019. The ban was imposed on the production, production, import, export, transportation, sale, distribution, storage and advertising of e-cigarettes. Companies are aggressively marketing products such as vaping devices, heat-not-burn devices and e-hookahs in India, another executive said. “Schools have become the hunting ground for these marketers who use under-the-radar methods to popularize such products in a systematic manner, starting with favored options and gradually moving users to higher levels of substances and spreading misinformation ”, says the director. said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)