**Executive Summary**
This document is the response to Unstarred Question No. 1245 in Lok Sabha, addressed to the Minister of Health and Family Welfare on February 6th, 2026, regarding international regulatory approaches for e-cigarettes. It confirms that the Ministry enacted the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) in 2019, prohibiting various aspects of e-cigarettes due to their potential harm. It cites the Indian Council of Medical Research's White Paper on Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS), 2019, to highlight the adverse effects of e-cigarettes.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes:**
* The Ministry enacted the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019.
* PECA prohibits the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement of electronic cigarettes and similar devices.
* The reason for the prohibition is that e-cigarettes are considered harmful and have the potential to initiate tobacco use among youth.
* **Adverse Health Effects of E-Cigarettes (based on White Paper):**
* ENDS/e-cigarette use adversely affects almost all human body systems.
* Effects span across the life course, from prenatal development to death.
* E-cigarette cartridges contain liquid nicotine, flavoring agents, and other chemicals, with nicotine levels comparable to a pack of 20 regular cigarettes, leading to potential nicotine addiction.
* The actual contents of e-cigarette products vary widely, leaving consumers unaware.
* Flavoring agents in e-cigarettes can adversely affect health due to cytotoxic effects.
* ENDS can adversely affect pregnant women, posing risks to foetal, infant, and child brain development.
* E-cigarette use negatively impacts the cardiovascular system, impairs respiratory and immune cell function, and affects airways similarly to cigarette smoking, leading to severe respiratory disease.
* Exposure to e-cigarette aerosol induces DNA damage and cell death.
* Studies show that nicotine solvents release potential carcinogens.
* The liquid-vaporizing solutions in e-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals and metals responsible for several adverse health effects, including cancers and diseases of the heart, lungs, and brain.
**Impact Analysis**
**Youth**
* **Impact**: Protection from initiating tobacco use and avoiding potential health harms associated with e-cigarettes.
* **Action Required**: Compliance with the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019.
**Consumers**
* **Impact**: Limited access to e-cigarettes due to the prohibitions, potentially reducing exposure to harmful substances.
* **Action Required**: Awareness of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019, and alternatives to e-cigarettes.
**E-Cigarette Manufacturers and Distributors**
* **Impact**: Prohibition on production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement of e-cigarettes.
* **Action Required**: Compliance with the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019, and cessation of all activities related to e-cigarettes.
**Pregnant Women, Fetuses, Infants, and Children**
* **Impact**: Protection from adverse health effects of ENDS from use or passive exposure
* **Action Required**: Further public awareness campaigns to warn against e-cigarette use and potential exposure risks.
Key Entities Referenced
Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019: Indian law prohibiting the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of electronic cigarettes and similar devices.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The primary ministry responsible for health-related policy and regulation in India; the Minister of State answered the question on behalf of the ministry.
Indian Council of Medical Research: Authored a white paper on Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) that informed the policy, cited in the answer.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO.1245
TO BE ANSWERED ON 06THFEBRUARY, 2026
INTERNATIONALREGULATORYAPPROACHES FORe-CIGARETTES
1245 SHRITANGELLAUDAYSRINIVAS:
Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government has examined or compiled information on international
regulatory approaches for products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products,
including the number of countries regulating them under adult-only access frameworks
and the manner in which such regulations differ from those for conventional cigarettes;
(b) the details of countries that have shifted from prohibition to regulation and the scientific
studies, public-health risk assessments and epidemiological evidence considered in such
decisions;
(c) the key outcomes observed in these countries, including changes in adult and youth
usage, illicit trade, enforcement outcomes and public-health indicators as compared to
cigarette use;
(d) whether the Government proposes to undertake a comparative and evidence-based
assessment of global experiences to inform policymaking in India; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) to (e): The Ministry enacted Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019 to
prohibit the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and
advertisement of electronic cigarettes and similar devices, which are harmful and has potential
for initiatingtobacco use amongst youth.
As per the White Paper by Indian Council of Medical Research on Electronic Nicotine Delivery
System (ENDS), 2019, the use of ENDS or e-cigarettes adversely affects almost all the human
body systems with impact across the life course, from the womb to tomb. Some of the major
impactsof ENDS or e-cigarettes are asunder: The cartridges used in ENDS or e-cigarettes are filled with liquid nicotine, flavoring
agents andother chemicals. Atypicalcartridge contains about as muchnicotine asa pack
of 20regularcigarettesand canactasa potentialsource for nicotine addiction.
Furthermore, the amount of nicotine and other chemicals in these products varies widely,
andthus, the consumer remainsunaware of the actualcontentsof the productstheyuse.
The flavoring agents used in e-cigarettes to attract consumers can adversely affect the
health of the users due to their cytotoxic effect, which has been demonstrated by various
studies.
ENDS can adversely affect pregnant women, whether they are users or exposed to
passive aerosol. It also poses risks tofoetal,infant, andchildbraindevelopment.
E-cigarette use adversely affects the cardiovascular system, impairs respiratory, immune
cell function and airways in a way similar to cigarette smoking and is responsible for
severe respiratory disease.
Human bronchial cells grown in a medium-exposed to e-cigarette aerosol have shown a
similar patternof geneexpression tothose grownina medium-exposedtotobaccosmoke.
Such exposure induces DNA damage and cell death independently of nicotine in cell
lines.
Studies on these nicotine solvents had shown a varied degree of release of potential
carcinogens, which includes acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and acetone, depending on the
battery output voltage. The liquid-vaporizing solutions also contain toxic chemicals and
metals that have been demonstrated to be responsible for several adverse health effects,
includingcancersanddiseases of the heart,lungsandbrain.
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