Chennai: In view of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s recent move to place the Ordinance bill to ban E-cigarettes in India in the public domain for feedback, TRENDS, the voluntary association of Trade Representatives of ENDS in India – a group of importers, distributors, and marketers of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) devices has written to Chief Minister
of Tamilnadu requesting to evaluate what is in the best interests of the citizens of the state.
In their letter, TRENDS pointed out that Union Health Ministry did not undertake any research, study or comparative assessment of risks associated with different methods of tobacco intake by Indians in all the years it has been sending advisories to states to ban E-cigarettes. Hence, they have depended on data from the US to justify the Ordinance Bill to ban E-cigarettes in India, the letter said.
Convenor, TRENDS Praveen Rikhy made a plea to the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, saying, “We would request you, as the leader of the State of Tamilnadu to ask the Central Government to allow your State Health department to conduct their own research and study so that a rational decision that benefits the maximum number of people of the state can be taken.”