Group working to curb vaping addiction writes to women parliamentarians, seeks their support
NEW DELHI : A united front of mothers combatting the menace of vaping addiction among Indian youth has written to women parliamentarians, including Nirmala Sitharaman and Smriti Irani, flagging the easy accessibility of vaping devices and urging them to join their cause. In their letter, the 'Mothers Against Vaping' highlighted that despite the ban on e-cigarettes and vaping devices, their use among children and youth has surged to alarming proportions.
India had announced a ban on the sale, storage and manufacture of e-cigarettes in 2019 by bringing in the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act 2019 (PECA). The letter underscored a disturbing trend, with numerous instances of school children being caught with e-cigarettes.
Despite the ban, a multitude of attractive vaping devices remain readily accessible to children, they said. Dr Deepa Malik, a paralympic medallist and a leading member of 'Mothers Against Vaping', said, “All Parliamentarians and specially women Parliamentarians need to raise relevant issues relevant to mothers, for the sake of the health of our children and next generation." Vaping is a pressing concern with the potential to jeopardising the health and future of countless children.
"As such, we earnestly implore our women parliamentarians to bring this critical issue to parliamentary debate, speaking from the perspective of mothers, and ensuring that banned products do not find their way into the hands of our vulnerable children," she said. Vaping devices have evolved with attractive designs and various flavours ranging from strawberry to bubble gum, making them highly popular among children and young people.
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