Punjab police has issued notices to various e-commerce portals for violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act by selling e-cigarettes. The police’s cyber-crime wing has issued notices to different e-commerce portals for selling e-cigarettes.
State Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Vini Mahajan said that Punjab was the first State where e-cigarettes have been declared as “unapproved drug” by State Drug Controller since 2013.
“It becomes significant to prohibit these internet sites from selling e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) devices containing nicotine in chemical form which is addictive and lethal,” she said.
“Court cases have been initiated in ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Mohali district against vendors selling e-cigarettes,” said the state Food and Drug Administration commissioner Hussan lal.
“The cases have been registered under various sections of Drugs and Cosmetics Act as nicotine was tested positive in all the cases. One violator in SAS Nagar has been sentenced to three years jail with fine of one lakh rupees. It is first of its kind conviction in the country,” he added.
Earlier, the State Tobacco Control Cell had also issued awareness notices to e-commerce sites that were violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act by selling unapproved drugs like e-cigarettes.
An advisory was also issued by Punjab Government to make people aware about the ill effects of e-cigarettes, said the state Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jiyani adding that state Director General of Police (DGP) was also asked to take action against the sale of e-cigarettes on e-commerce portals.