Mumbai: A survey conducted by Salaam Bombay Foundation (SBF) ahead of World Anti-Tobacco Day revealed 80 per cent of school and college students addicted to e-cigarettes had no prior exposure to any tobacco based products. Of which 56 per cent of them believing it does not have any side-effects. More than 300 teenagers and adolescents between the age group of 12 and 19 years were surveyed. Health experts and doctors have also urged policymakers to ban the sale of e-cigarettes. Doctors have also proved that vaping (use of e-cigarettes) is as damaging for health as the conventional cigarette smoking.
“E-ciggaretes are harmful for health and it has been found evidence of the occurrence of diseases like cancer. The e-cigarette lobby is quite large and people are misled by their side and the e-cigarette is said to be less harmful,” said Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, Head and Neck Surgeon from Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH). The study had quotes of a 12-year-old young boy from a city school who says, “Bacche ise pehle mazey ke liye use karte hain aur baad mein asli (cigarettes) pe shuru ho jaate hain.”(Children initially use e-cigarettes for fun and later start using actual cigarettes).
Tshering Bhutia, Vice President — Projects (Preventive Health and Research) Salaam Bombay Foundation said, survey has found substantial evidence to suggest that e-cigarette use by youth increases their chances of using conventional cigarettes eventually. “E-cigarettes have been targeting our youth with their colours and flavours that entice them and predatorily pull them towards addiction to tobacco. Banning these vaping products represents one way to keep children away from future tobacco consumption,” said Bhutia. The Food and Drug Administration had imposed blanket ban on the sale of e-cigarettes, e-sheeshas and other similar devices. “The ban on e-cigarettes will be was imposed in the month of March. If anyone is found flouting the norms action will be taken against them,” said Pallavi Darade, FDA commissioner.
