Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Saturday urged the Central Government to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Act so as to ban nicotine, which is easily available, to save precious lives from its harmful effects.
Vij said he has sent a proposal in this regard to Union Health Minister JP Nadda. He said that while nicotine gum should be banned, the relevant Act should be amended so that its not easily available. He also said that the provision of relaxation of certain limit of nicotine under the schedule of sales licence should be withdrawn.
Anil Vij said the State Government has already included nicotine in the category of toxics under Haryana Toxic Ownership and Sales Rules, 1966. Nicotine could be extracted from anything. To get or sell nicotine, any person or a shopkeeper could take support of prevailing Act which is harmful for the society. Therefore, the Central Government has been urged to make appropriate amendments in the Act.