Food and Drugs Administration sends notices to e-cigarette distributors

On the eve of World No Tobacco Day, the Food and Drugs Administration on Saturday slapped notices on 25 distributors of e-cigarettes, asking them why action should not taken against them for violation of law. According to the law, there is no provision in India to sale the e-cigarettes.

FDA commissioner Harshadeep Kamble said, "In India, for any kind of medicine to be sold, one has to take permission from the Drugs Controller General of India. The DGCI has not yet approved e-cigarettes that contain liquid nicotine. On this ground, we have sent notices to these agencies."

The FDA action comes in the wake of a growing trend among college students using e-cigarettes, which are promoted as devices that help people kick the butt. However, doctors contradict the claim. They say it is more sinister than nicotine. Experts say there is evidence that e-cigarettes can cause death and poisonings. E-cigarettes are slender pencil-like battery-powered devices that deliver nicotine, flavorings (e.g. fruit, mint,and chocolate), and other chemicals via an inhaled aerosol.

E-cigarettes contain cancer-causing agents like formaldehyde, which in some brands reach concentrations close to that of some conventional cigarette. They deliver nicotine, which contributes to cardiovascular disease.