How will FDA crack down on online e-cigarette sellers?
It has been two years since Akshay Chauhan (34) switched from normal cigarettes to smoking electronic cigarettes. In retrospect, the Malad resident thinks it was a wise decision."Having been addicted to tobacco-based cigarettes for over 10 years, I used to smoke up to 20 cigarettes a day. After being afflicted by chronic cough, I got concerned about my health and started searching for a considerably less harmful alternative. That was when I switched to e-cigarettes," says Akshay.Akshay sources his stock of e-cigarettes from the United States. "Initially, I was apprehensive about using E-cigarettes as I did not know how much harm they could cause. While cigarettes have harmful tar and produce smoke, e-cigarettes only vaporise nicotine. They seem less harmful."Globally, the e-cigarette industry is worth around $1.5 billion. Brands like the US-based Blu and China-based Joyetech, Kangar and Dekang are major manufacturers of e-cigarettes and sell products internationally through online portals.Because of their easy availability, experts are skeptical about how the Food and Drug Administration will effectively stop their sale in Maharashtra. "Most e-cigarettes are ordered over the Internet. Cracking down on just shops is not enough. Further, international online portals attract a lot of Indian customers, over which the FDA has no control whatsoever," said Dr PC Gupta, director, Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health in Navi Mumbai.Regulating the sale of e-cigarettes over the Internet is an uphill task. A Google search on where to buy e-cigarettes throws up several results. At least three Mumbai-based websites openly sell e-cigarettes. Further, mobile numbers of local paan shops that stock e-cigarette brands are also available online.Tobacco smoking kills 15 lakh people in India every year. E-cigarette manufacturers contend that they are being unfairly targeted when the big fish escape unquestioned. A Mahim-based e-cigarette seller, on condition of anonymity, said, "Tobacco-based smoking is much more harmful. Why are we being targeted when the health ministry is not taking any action against tobacco and cigarette companies?"Dr Gupta said that nicotine is a prescription-based drug and its use in a fashion that is not standardised is unsafe. "There is no standardisation on dosage and method of delivery of nicotine in e-cigarettes. Manufacturers claim that it is less harmful than tobacco-based cigarettes. But inhaled nicotine is converted into carcinogenic (cancer-causing) nitrosamines, which are harmful for the body," he added.maitri.porecha@dnaindia.net