With cabinet expected to give its approval this week to an ordinance against electronic nicotine devices, industry cries foul
In a joint press conference held for the first time ever, Gujarat Tobacco Farmers and Merchants Associations have today backed TRENDS, the trade representatives of ENDS in India in seeking a review of the Government’s decision to bring an ordinance to ban E-Cigarettes.
Praveen Rikhy, Convenor of TRENDS, the trade body representing importers, distributors and marketers of ENDS in India said, “It is for the first time in the annals of this country’s policy making that a draconian step such as an ordinance has been brought to bear on a product category without any reference to the trade, the science or the medical evidence available.”
India is widely expected to bring an ordinance banning e-cigarettes and all other electronic nicotine delivery devices; it is likely that the Union cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday will approve the ordinance.
India is widely expected to bring an ordinance banning e-cigarettes and all other electronic nicotine delivery devices; it is likely that the Union cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday will approve the ordinance
In a scathing criticism of the manner in which the Ministry of Health has bulldozed all opinions of all stakeholders, she said, “A selective campaign unleashed by the Ministry of Health which refused to afford even 5 minutes of time to our 15 representations over two months is indicative of the pre-meditated moves on this issue. It is strange, and dubious why the Ministry had to move with such speed on a category, which the Minister of State recently in an answer in parliament claimed only 3% of population had heard about. What was the emergency: how could E-Cigarettes be the greatest challenge being faced by this government,” she asked.
TRENDS exhibited presentations of facts, which, it claimed, conclusively proved that the evidence against E-Cigarettes presented by the Ministry to Government was selective, pre-meditated, biased and pushed without diligence.
Joining issue on the subject of ordinance, Bhikhubhai N Patel, President of the Gujarat Tobacco Merchants Association said the speed with which Government has moved without consulting stakeholders is unusual. He added, “This is an issue that can have adverse impact of the livelihoods of farmers in Gujarat. We have seen repeated attempts by global lobbies to hurt the tobacco trade and the eventual burden is borne by the farmer. We plead with the Government to not encourage these lobbies to attack the tobacco trade, the nascent nicotine processing industry and the farmer of Gujarat.”
Elaborating on the possibilities of nicotine industry, Patel said that nicotine processing offers new opportunity for the tobacco trade to modernise and move away from traditional practices and processes to a futuristic mode. Global trends, he claimed, indicate that traditional useof tobacco will modify into new technological products such as E-Cigarettes. Banning this category will not only send a negative signal, but also block further growth of the nicotine industry.
He said that India was one of the world’s largest producers of nicotine along with Brazil and China.
