Hyderabad: Despite a ban on electronic cigarettes or vapes by the Union government in 2019, these are easily available in the city and are sold openly even to minors. Also, these banned vapes are being sold and delivered through social media platforms – Instagram, Telegram and WhatsApp. The City police warned of stringent action against those using e-cigarettes and warned parents of teen addicts that they too will be held accountable and can even be booked.

The city is witnessing a disturbing trend of banned e-cigarettes and vapes and raising serious concerns among parents and law enforcement. The ban on e-cigarette was introduced to protect the younger generation from a new form of toxic addiction. However, the market is being flooded with cheap and unbranded Chinese-make e-cigarettes.

Shopkeepers, paan shops in some areas in the city are offering a wide range of flavours, including watermelon, kiwi, ice grapes, mixed berry, apple, and strawberry kiwi ice. These sellers offered disposable vapes ranging from 6,000 puffs to 30,000 puffs, despite the strict prohibition on such products. The fans of vapes believe that these electronic products are less harmful than conventional cigarettes.

It is being sold for Rs 1,000 for a 6,000-puff vape, while a 30,000-puff vape is priced at Rs 8,000 and more, offering customers a greater variety of flavours in the higher-end models. It was sold under names like Elfbar, Raya D3, nasty max, Naked 100 Max, iMix, among others which are mostly Chinese manufactured.

It has been witnessed that various WhatsApp and Telegram groups and Instagram pages are advertising the product if any arrived in their groups.

A majority of the buyers are mostly teenagers or college-going students. Moreover, it has been witnessed that those who don’t smoke used these vapes. “I do not smoke a cigarette, but I use an e-cigarette for flavours,” said a 30-year-old man, requesting anonymity.

This e-cig culture is clearly trending in the city, particularly Instagram, where short videos or reels feature young people puffing vapes. Vapes often feature in social media posts which they seem adds a perception of coolness.

Hyderabad also witnessed the school students using these vapes. These were available among tobacco vendors near educational institutions. A few vendors were not selling, but assured a door step delivery as per the demand.

In recent cases, following the complaint from the staff of the educational institutions located in Abids regarding the sale of banned e-cigarettes and vapes among students, the Anti-Narcotics Bureau busted a gang for selling the contraband in and around the schools and colleges in Abids.

Police apprehended two persons and seized over 1,200 e-Cigarettes worth Rs 25 lakh. They also identified over a dozen juvenile students below the age of 18 years of being sucked into Drug Abuse at a tender age.

The teachers of the institutions raised their doubts regarding the selling of vapes to the children at Abids. Then the police kept surveillance at schools and colleges including Little Flower School, St Mary’s Jr College, St George Grammar School, Rosary Convent High School, Sujatha High School and Jr College located at Abids.

A senior police officer said that it is a misconception that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative. Vaping has serious health effects, including cardiovascular disease, lung damage, seizures and nicotine poisoning. “E-cigarettes are not only banned but also laced with harmful chemicals and nicotine, posing a serious health threat, especially to the youth,” said a police officer. Police urged family members to proactively stop their wards from the use of vapes.

A 2019 law prohibits the manufacture and sale of e-cigarettes citing ‘public health’ and aiming ‘to protect the people from harm’. Since 2019, the Government of India has banned the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement of e-cigarettes nationwide.