Government bans e-cigarettes

New Delhi: E-cigarettes will be banned in India with immediate effect, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Wednesday. Envisioned as a tool to combat tobacco addiction, electronic cigarettes and other vaping products have become a major problem and increase the risk of children taking up smoking, she said.

"The production, manufacturing, import or export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisements related to e-cigarettes are banned," Sitharaman said, announcing that the Union Cabinet had cleared an ordinance that has been sent to President Ram Nath Kovind.

E-cigarettes are being used as a "style statement", the minister said, and the government wants to stop the contagion before it spreads.