An umbrella body of trade representatives promoting Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) on Wednesday criticised the Centre's decision to ban e-cigarettes and similar products without "taking all the stakeholders in confidence through discussion".
The voluntary association of Trade Representatives of ENDS in India (Trends) comprising importers, distributors and marketers of such "alternative" smoking devices wondered why the Centre took the ordinance route to put the ban into effect.
"The ban will deprive the future generation of the benefit of new tech innovation and it will not mitigate the addiction to tobacco, which is a serious health issue," the organisation's Convenor Praveen Rikhy told reporters here.
Rikhy claimed there is a "lot of misinformation about ill effects of e-cigarette" and the countries like UK, France have been "able to strengthen their existing tobacco control measures and reduce smoking rate by switching to emerging technology solutions like Electronic Nicotine Delivery System".
The organisation plans to approach MPs of different political parties on the issue with "facts and figures", so that the issue comes up for discussion in the next session in both houses of parliament.
The Centre had issued an ordinance to ban e-cigarettes making the production, import, export, transport, sale or advertisements of such "alternative" smoking devices a cognizable offence attracting jail term and fine.
The Indian Council of Medical Research had noted in its white paper that e-cigarettes and other such devices contained not only nicotine solution, but also harmful ingredients.
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