8 months ago
Lok Sabha MP Vaping Incident Highlights India's E-Cigarette Ban
A Member of Parliament (MP) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) complained that another MP from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was using an e-cigarette in the Lok Sabha, which is against the law.
E-cigarettes are banned in India, but the law does not clearly say if using them is a crime.
The BJP MP asked if e-cigarettes are allowed in Parliament.
A video later showed the TMC MP using an e-cigarette.
The law bans making, selling, and storing e-cigarettes, but it is not clear about using them.
There is a big illegal market for e-cigarettes in India and around the world.
The health ministry says having an e-cigarette is also against the law, even if the law does not say it directly.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur complained about a TMC MP using an e-cigarette in the Lok Sabha.
E-cigarettes are banned in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019.
The law does not explicitly ban the usage of e-cigarettes, creating a legal grey area.
There is a thriving illegal market for e-cigarettes in India, estimated to be worth $20-30 billion.
The health ministry considers the possession of e-cigarettes a violation of PECA, even if not explicitly stated in the law.
- Who
- BJP MP Anurag Thakur lodged a complaint against an unnamed TMC MP, later identified as Saugata Roy, for using an e-cigarette in Parliament.
- What
- The incident highlighted the ban on e-cigarettes in India and the legal grey area regarding their usage.
- Where
- The incident occurred within the premises of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's Parliament.
- When
- The complaint was lodged last Thursday during Zero Hour, and a video of the incident surfaced the following day.
- Why
- The complaint was made to draw attention to the violation of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019, which bans the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement of e-cigarettes in India.
Key facts
- Complaint Lodged By
- BJP MP Anurag Thakur
- Alleged MP Using E-Cigarette
- TMC MP Saugata Roy
- Law Banning E-Cigarettes
- Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019
- Penalty for First-Time Violators
- Up to 1 year imprisonment and ₹1 lakh fine
- Penalty for Repeat Offenders
- Up to 3 years imprisonment and ₹5 lakh fine
- Illegal Market Size in India
- Estimated $20-30 billion
- Global Illegal E-Vapour Market Share
- 82% in Asia Pacific, 75% worldwide
- PECA Violation Cases (2021-2025)
- 384 cases, 1,248 stocks seized
Sources
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