E-cigarettes are electronic devices that are popular in China but have yet to hit the West.
They are popular with people who do not like to be tied to a nicotine pack, but have also gained popularity among smokers in Europe.
They can be used for nicotine replacement, or used to treat conditions like chronic coughs.
A recent study showed that about 1.7 million people smoked a cigarette in India in 2016, but that number is expected to grow by 30 per cent by 2020, according to a report by the National Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education (NCCTRE).
While the Chinese market is much larger than India, the demand for e-cigarettes is also growing.
In 2019, the number of e-cigarette users in India was nearly one-third of that in China.
India’s health ministry said the country is a “major market” for e.cigarettes, which are used to smoke and inhale nicotine.
The Ministry of Health has started to regulate e-cig sales.
The ministry said that it is taking “action against all tobacco vendors” to curb the use of e.cigs in India.
In September, India became the second country after the US to ban the sale of ecigs.
“There will be an effective regulatory framework in place,” said Dr Anil Shukla, secretary of the Ministry of health.
But Dr Shukha told Al Jazeera that the regulation will have to be uniform and applied equally across the country.
“We will have a very difficult time enforcing this on the streets.
The tobacco industry has a vested interest,” he said.
India, which is home to about 15 million smokers, has been grappling with tobacco use for more than 50 years.
A study published in 2017 showed that more than 1.6 million Indians had used e-cigs during the past year, which was twice the amount of those who used tobacco.
The number of cigarettes smoked in India has nearly doubled since 2005, from about 100 million to more than 200 million, according the World Health Organization.
The government has tried to clamp down on the use, but there are loopholes and loopholes remain, according Shukala.
“In India, we have no way of controlling sales,” he added.
India has a law that allows for the sale and distribution of tobacco products.
However, there are strict regulations on e-tobacco sales.
E-cigarette products can be sold only by a person who holds a valid government-issued licence or is a medical practitioner or an approved supplier.
The e-liquid that is mixed with tobacco must contain no more than one part per million of nicotine.
E.cigarettes do not contain nicotine and are often made with an ingredient that is not available in the market.
In India, e-juices are sold in pharmacies, while traditional cigarettes are sold only in cafes.
While e-smoking is legal, it is illegal to sell e-liquids in restaurants, hotels and malls.
According to the National Tobacco Control Forum (NTCF), which advises the government on tobacco control, e.liquor sales in India have increased by 10 per cent in the past five years.
“As the use in India grows, it becomes more difficult to control,” NTCF member Dr Kirit Somapragada said.
In 2017, the government introduced the Smoker’s Licence Act, which allowed e-vapor products to be sold in restaurants and bars.
The law did not ban the import of ejuices, however, and it allowed e.vaporisers to be used in retail stores.
“The government has done a great job in controlling the sale in India, but this has to be done in a uniform manner and also by the government,” Somapra said.
“Our government needs to focus on making e-smokers safer and provide better health services,” he noted.
But some Indian e-connoisseurs say the law is not the answer.
They say the ban on e.juices is not sufficient.
“What the government should do is put more emphasis on prevention, education and support for smokers and their families, as well as on strengthening the existing laws on tobacco products,” said Shashank Choudhary, general secretary of National Association of E-Cigarette Users (NAEU).
“We believe that the current ban is not going to stop the consumption of e cigarettes and e-Liquids,” Choudheary added.
While many Indian smokers prefer the taste of traditional cigarettes, many are also trying to quit.
Some people are switching to e-Cigs, but are not quitting entirely, according a recent study by the World Bank.
While the proportion of Indians who use e-bikes and e.bikes have dropped over the past decade, the proportion who are regular users of ecigarettes has increased, according data from the NAEU.
The report found that the
