Govt considering banning e-cigarettes

The government is now considering banning three categories of nicotine products  in the country, including e-cigarettes, considering their adverse effect on public health and individuals.

Medical Education and Family Welfare Division Secretary Shaikh Yusuf Harun made the disclosure at a press briefing at the health ministry on Thursday.

The three categories of products are:  e-cigarettes or vaping, heated tobacco or nicotine products, and nicotine replacement therapy.  

Citing those harmful for public health, Harun said the production, import and marketing of e-cigarettes, vaping, and other emerging tobacco products, needs to be stopped.

Necessary measures would be taken soon in this regard, he said. 

The secretary mentioned that some 30 countries including Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand have already banned e-cigarettes, and said: "We have made the best use of  global experience."

In a recent World Health Organization report, Global Tobacco Epidemic-2019, it has identified the e-cigarette as harmful for health.

Approached, the secretary told Dhaka Tribune: "We are yet to include the three categories of products in the draft tobacco control policy 2019. But we will take necessary measures to include those in the policy."

"The policy is still in its draft stage and will be formulated soon," he said.

The country currently has no proper statistics on how many people are consuming e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. But research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration in the USA has found that the use of electronic tobacco products among school going teens increased by 78% in the last one year.