Details
“TO(O) Harsh Vardhan, On E-Smoking: CAIT”
01-Jul-2019
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Traders, Activists Want ‘No Vaping’ Ban Lifted!
KHL News Bureau
[email protected]
Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan was recently petitioned by a national traders’ body to lift the embargo on sales of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) that includes E-Cigarettes all over India.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), national body of 70 million small traders, has urged the need for regulation to ensure rationalized trade, sale, manufacture and distribution of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) in India. The Secretary General of CAIT Praveen Khandelwal told kiranhegdelive.com, “Prohibition on ENDS products has resulted in a thriving grey market for these as well as counterfeit products, more harmful for health and revenues for legitimate business and the government. CAIT has identified areas of concern that include, increase in illicit trade of ENDS products; entry of counterfeit and spurious ENDS products; loss of revenue to the government; unchecked access to youth for ENDS products through black market; promotes rent-seeking; spiked unemployment rate while also infringing upon a consumer’s right to choose.”
Meanwhile, ENDS crusader activist and ‘consumer respondent’ as also the director of the Association of Vapers India (AVI), Samrat Chowdhery, who attended and addressed the conference on nicotine and safer alternatives, organized by the Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN), in Warsaw in Poland earlier this month, shared his thoughts on the CAIT demand with this news web channel.
The director of AVI, a national consumer body that represents the interests of users of reduced harm nicotine products said, “Even if e-cigarettes were only 5% less harmful than smoking, there would be no logic in banning them while allowing cigarettes to be sold. Numerous studies show 95% risk reduction as these products eliminate combustion from the delivery process which is the main source of harm as it produces tar and about 80 carcinogens. A ban criminalizes people for trying to avoid tobacco diseases and death, which claims over a million every in India.”
Chowdhery told the international conference that the alternative and less harmful (than combustibles like literal cigarettes) ENDS often played the crucial role providing the alternative platform for smokers (interim stage) to move to the stage of quitting cigarettes and even tobacco usage totally. This was as experienced by dual users (of combustibles as well as Vapers) although it is conventionally stated to be more harmful than a single mode of nicotine consumption. (https://youtu.be/OFG6uI_xwGE)
The traders’ body in its petition to the Union Minister has further said, “You are aware that around 1.3 million people in the country die every year due to tobacco related illnesses. There are 300 million people in India using tobacco and nearly 106 million people in India who smoke the combustible variety of cigarettes. India is currently home to approximately 11.2% of combustible cigarette smokers in the world,” the CAIT communication issued to the Union Minister on June 5, 2019, and released to the news media on Wednesday said.
“CAIT supports Government’s tobacco control strategies and has urged traders to quit cigarette smoking. However, technological innovations in the field of tobacco harm reduction offers an opportunity for smokers through products such as ENDS that significantly reduce the risks of tobacco consumption,”the release added.
CAIT as an association accountable to 4 million humble ‘Paanwalas’ (retail bunk shop owners) in India has expressed concerns for the future prospects of this community in India.
“Traditional cigarettes are accessible across paan-shops in Indian cities and villages. Cigarette sales are under pressure with the Government’s tough anti-smoking initiatives and the consequent decline has a huge livelihood impact on small and independent shops and will likely trigger high unemployment in the industry. The problem is amplified by the burgeoning grey market developing around these products,”CAIT said.
“Allowing sale and access to less harmful alternatives such as ENDS at such outlets, with appropriate regulatory measures and safeguards including age verification, will help in curbing cigarette smoking while ensuring sustained revenue for the traders and the government,” CAIT added.
Prohibition on ENDS like products has resulted in a thriving grey market for these as well as counterfeit products, more harmful for health and revenues for legitimate business and the government. CAIT has identified areas of concern that include, increase in illicit trade of ENDS products; entry of counterfeit and spurious ENDS products; loss of revenue to the government; unchecked access to youth for ENDS products through black market; promotes rent-seeking; spiked unemployment rate while also infringing upon a consumer’s right to choose
Studies assessed by CAIT’s research wing demonstrate that advanced economies like United States, UK, and Canada among 98 other countries have already debated the issue and come up with robust frameworks to ensure stringent and transparent regulation and also address the risks and benefits of the category.
“Even countries like UAE, Seychelles and Thailand, which had banned ENDS earlier have or are in the process of framing regulations for the category. Recent actions which includes an advisory by the Ministry of Health and Family advising States and Union Territories to ban ENDS and the consequent ban imposed by 13 states on such products compel us to ask, why ban a segment of trade that has scientifically proven tobacco harm reduction potential, even as no action is taken on combustible cigarettes? CAIT respectfully disagrees with such discrimination which will endanger livelihood of all traders that operate the estimated 40,00,000 paan (bunk) shops in the country,” the CAIT communication to Harsh Vardhan stated.
“We would also like to draw your attention to the recent ICMR report, which advocates prohibition of ENDS without indulging in any primary research on the subject.
It is our humble submission that the methodology adopted by ICMR has not accounted for the positive scientific evidence on ENDS and presents an incomplete assessment on the subject. A body of international repute such as the ICMR should be encouraged to engage in both primary and secondary research on the subject in an independent manner and such efforts should not be influenced by the views of civil society organisations that have vested interests or receive funding from bodies which don’t have the best interests of India in mind,”CAIT further said.
“in the UK, Public Health England (PHE) conducts a yearly evidentiary review on ENDS as per the directions of the House of Commons Committee on Science and Technology. It must also be noted that in all these assessments the Public Health England has maintained that ENDS are at least 95% less harmful than combustible cigarettes and the Government of UK views ENDS as a potential tool to reduce their public healthcare expenditure incurred on account of tobacco related illnesses.”
The current level of misinformation around the category that is guiding a prohibitionist mindset will a) restrict traders from selling such products, thereby adversely affecting their livelihood opportunities b) restrict smokers from accessing reduced harm nicotine products.”
“Traders, Activists Want ‘No Vaping’ Ban Lifted!
KHL News Bureau
[email protected]
Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan was recently petitioned by a national traders’ body to lift the embargo on sales of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) that includes E-Cigarettes all over India.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), national body of 70 million small traders, has urged the need for regulation to ensure rationalized trade, sale, manufacture and distribution of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) in India. The Secretary General of CAIT Praveen Khandelwal told kiranhegdelive.com, “Prohibition on ENDS products has resulted in a thriving grey market for these as well as counterfeit products, more harmful for health and revenues for legitimate business and the government. CAIT has identified areas of concern that include, increase in illicit trade of ENDS products; entry of counterfeit and spurious ENDS products; loss of revenue to the government; unchecked access to youth for ENDS products through black market; promotes rent-seeking; spiked unemployment rate while also infringing upon a consumer’s right to choose.”
Meanwhile, ENDS crusader activist and ‘consumer respondent’ as also the director of the Association of Vapers India (AVI), Samrat Chowdhery, who attended and addressed the conference on nicotine and safer alternatives, organized by the Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN), in Warsaw in Poland earlier this month, shared his thoughts on the CAIT demand with this news web channel.
The director of AVI, a national consumer body that represents the interests of users of reduced harm nicotine products said, “Even if e-cigarettes were only 5% less harmful than smoking, there would be no logic in banning them while allowing cigarettes to be sold. Numerous studies show 95% risk reduction as these products eliminate combustion from the delivery process which is the main source of harm as it produces tar and about 80 carcinogens. A ban criminalizes people for trying to avoid tobacco diseases and death, which claims over a million every in India.”
Chowdhery told the international conference that the alternative and less harmful (than combustibles like literal cigarettes) ENDS often played the crucial role providing the alternative platform for smokers (interim stage) to move to the stage of quitting cigarettes and even tobacco usage totally. This was as experienced by dual users (of combustibles as well as Vapers) although it is conventionally stated to be more harmful than a single mode of nicotine consumption. (https://youtu.be/OFG6uI_xwGE)
The traders’ body in its petition to the Union Minister has further said, “You are aware that around 1.3 million people in the country die every year due to tobacco related illnesses. There are 300 million people in India using tobacco and nearly 106 million people in India who smoke the combustible variety of cigarettes. India is currently home to approximately 11.2% of combustible cigarette smokers in the world,” the CAIT communication issued to the Union Minister on June 5, 2019, and released to the news media on Wednesday said.
“CAIT supports Government’s tobacco control strategies and has urged traders to quit cigarette smoking. However, technological innovations in the field of tobacco harm reduction offers an opportunity for smokers through products such as ENDS that significantly reduce the risks of tobacco consumption,”the release added.
CAIT as an association accountable to 4 million humble ‘Paanwalas’ (retail bunk shop owners) in India has expressed concerns for the future prospects of this community in India.
“Traditional cigarettes are accessible across paan-shops in Indian cities and villages. Cigarette sales are under pressure with the Government’s tough anti-smoking initiatives and the consequent decline has a huge livelihood impact on small and independent shops and will likely trigger high unemployment in the industry. The problem is amplified by the burgeoning grey market developing around these products,”CAIT said.
“Allowing sale and access to less harmful alternatives such as ENDS at such outlets, with appropriate regulatory measures and safeguards including age verification, will help in curbing cigarette smoking while ensuring sustained revenue for the traders and the government,” CAIT added.
Prohibition on ENDS like products has resulted in a thriving grey market for these as well as counterfeit products, more harmful for health and revenues for legitimate business and the government. CAIT has identified areas of concern that include, increase in illicit trade of ENDS products; entry of counterfeit and spurious ENDS products; loss of revenue to the government; unchecked access to youth for ENDS products through black market; promotes rent-seeking; spiked unemployment rate while also infringing upon a consumer’s right to choose
Studies assessed by CAIT’s research wing demonstrate that advanced economies like United States, UK, and Canada among 98 other countries have already debated the issue and come up with robust frameworks to ensure stringent and transparent regulation and also address the risks and benefits of the category.
“Even countries like UAE, Seychelles and Thailand, which had banned ENDS earlier have or are in the process of framing regulations for the category. Recent actions which includes an advisory by the Ministry of Health and Family advising States and Union Territories to ban ENDS and the consequent ban imposed by 13 states on such products compel us to ask, why ban a segment of trade that has scientifically proven tobacco harm reduction potential, even as no action is taken on combustible cigarettes? CAIT respectfully disagrees with such discrimination which will endanger livelihood of all traders that operate the estimated 40,00,000 paan (bunk) shops in the country,” the CAIT communication to Harsh Vardhan stated.
“We would also like to draw your attention to the recent ICMR report, which advocates prohibition of ENDS without indulging in any primary research on the subject.
It is our humble submission that the methodology adopted by ICMR has not accounted for the positive scientific evidence on ENDS and presents an incomplete assessment on the subject. A body of international repute such as the ICMR should be encouraged to engage in both primary and secondary research on the subject in an independent manner and such efforts should not be influenced by the views of civil society organisations that have vested interests or receive funding from bodies which don’t have the best interests of India in mind,”CAIT further said.
“in the UK, Public Health England (PHE) conducts a yearly evidentiary review on ENDS as per the directions of the House of Commons Committee on Science and Technology. It must also be noted that in all these assessments the Public Health England has maintained that ENDS are at least 95% less harmful than combustible cigarettes and the Government of UK views ENDS as a potential tool to reduce their public healthcare expenditure incurred on account of tobacco related illnesses.”
The current level of misinformation around the category that is guiding a prohibitionist mindset will a) restrict traders from selling such products, thereby adversely affecting their livelihood opportunities b) restrict smokers from accessing reduced harm nicotine products.”
