In its endeavour to make the state tobacco and smoke free, the Punjab government on Friday has booked four vendors for selling e-cigarettes and nicotine in chemical form and violating the Government directives. The four vendors who have been booked are located in ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Mohali districts, informed an official spokesperson of the state health department.
Punjab Food and Drug Administration Commissioner and Health and Family Welfare secretary Hussan lal said that the cases were registered against two vendors in ludhiana and one each in Mohali and Hoshiarpur. They have been booked under various sections of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, he said. Punjab had already announced to declare e-cigarettes (Electronic Nicotine Delivery System) as illegal under The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, he said. lal said that as many as 20 districts of the state have already been declared tobacco-free in Punjab.
The state Drug Controller Ajay Singla said that e-Cigarettes contain nicotine in chemical form which is “lethal and addictive chemical”. Under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, nicotine is allowed to be manufactured only as nicotine gums or lozenges two mg and four mg. “Every other product which contained nicotine is illegal,” he said.
“Punjab is the only state where implementation of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Food Safety and Standard Act of India and Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act is being monitored monthly at state level,” said the state Programme Officer of Punjab Tobacco Control Cell Rakesh Gupta.