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PATNA: The state government has banned even e-cigarette in Bihar . E-cigarette is smoked through electronics nicotine delivery system (ENDS) for nicotine intake. Its manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, display and advertisement also stand banned. Even online purchase of e-cigarettes has been banned in the state.

State drug controller (SDC) Ravindra Kumar Sinha issued the notification in this regard recently and also sent it to all assistant drug controllers (ADCs) and drug inspectors for its strict enforcement in their respective areas.

The state has already banned the manufacture, distribution, trade, sale, purchase, display and advertisement of all tobacco products and items containing nicotine and not approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).

E-cigarette has been banned in pursuance of the earlier decision of the State Tobacco Control Coordination Committee (STCCC) headed by the health department principal secretary, the notification said.

Moreover, the Centre has put the tobacco based products in the category of ‘sinful goods’, inviting higher goods and services tax (GST). The state government has already ordered the traders of cigarettes and other tobacco and nicotine containing products to take licence from the municipal bodies concerned.

The executive director of Socio-Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS), Deepak Mishra , engaged in anti-tobacco campaign in the state, said banning of e-cigarette and other items containing nicotine and not approved by the DCGI has been done to prevent youths and students from consuming nicotine through it.

Curiously, the youths have also hooked on to smoking e-hookah, which would also remain banned. As Mishra said, e-cigarette is a battery-run pen-shaped apparatus, which contains nicotine containing liquid solution that evaporates and gives out thick puffs of vapour, once it comes into contact with the inbuilt device that generates heat in it.

The functioning of the e-hookah is similar. Once exhausted, the liquid solution can be replaced. The chemical contents of the liquid solution, as fitted in the e-cigarette, are propylene, glycol, glycerine and nicotine. Smoking e-cigarette is also called ‘vaping’ in the new in-world lingua of the smokers.

