By Dr. Caleb Harris
The Indian Premier League(IPL) is a media spectacle, drawing eyeballs, several of them youngsters, and it was shocking to see a young player, hailing from a neighbouring state, vaping in the dressing room. All the more as he held a leadership role in the team, which incidentally had a minor player! While it may not seem to be a big deal, with rampant smoking of cigarettes in public places, all around minors, one has to note that use of e-cigarettes is banned under the Indian law. The Government of India has to be credited for acting early and banning these seemingly harmless products in 2019, even before they started becoming popular. Yet, it was procured illegally and used in full view of the camera in a cricket stadium.
Not long ago, a Hollywood actor, best known for portraying a flamboyant secret agent, was seen promoting a brand of ‘mouth freshner’ on Indian screens. He claimed ignorance of its association with tobacco when this was pointed out to him. But there are several ‘stars’ out there who abuse their positions of influence to sell tobacco in various ways. TAPS- Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship- is banned under the COTPA(Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act) 2003, which is a key aspect of the World Health Organisation’s(WHO) Framework Consensus on Tobacco Control(FCTC). This Act bans the indirect sponsorship of events and all other forms of surrogate advertisements. But for this law, we would still have major cricket events named after tobacco brands.
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems(ENDS) are small devices which heat a nicotine containing solution and is vaporised to be inhaled by the user. These come in various shapes and varied flavours, albeit the key ingredient being nicotine. Nicotine is the most addictive substance and while it may not be directly carcinogenic, it may be harmful in high concentrations. The nicotine content in ENDS is high, can cause other health problems, including affecting the mental health. The most dangerous aspect of nicotine is the dependence it causes. While the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019 banned such products in India, it is obvious that the ban has not been effective, allowing the cricketer to use it.
The United Kingdom, where smoking and vaping is rampant, has woken up late, and banned the use of tobacco and vaping recently. What is unique about this ban is that it is generational-with the ban being applied to all individuals born after Jan 2009, meaning all who turned 18 next year will not be able to use these products. Further, they will never get to use tobacco- not when they turn 21, not at 25 years! But it remains to be seen how well it would be implemented, because if a group of friends is out to shop for tobacco, while someone who was born on 31st December 2008 will be able to legally purchase tobacco, the one who was born on 1st January 2009 cannot. Few years later, a 40 year old may be able to buy while a 39 year old will be refused. Hence the onus is on the tobacco retailers and not the users.
This is hailed as a landmark legislation, as Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England remarked, “Cigarettes take choice away by addicting people and most smokers wish they had never started but are trapped”. This is exactly what the UK Tobacco and Vapes Act wants to achieve- a generation of non-smokers. The Indian laws have been well drafted, and as per COTPA, smoking in public places, selling tobacco products to or by minors, or selling tobacco products within a radius of 100 metres from any educational institution is illegal. Establishments where tobacco products are sold must display messages like “Tobacco Causes Cancer” and “Sale of tobacco products to a person under the age of eighteen years is a punishable offence under law”. However, the community has to ensure this is implemented better.
World No Tobacco Day is observed on the 31st of May every year, since 1987. An initiative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), this year, the theme is “Unmasking the Appeal: countering nicotine and tobacco addiction” and aims to focus on revealing the tactics the tobacco and nicotine industry use to make their products look attractive despite being harmful. The tobacco industry tried to promote e-cigarettes and even convinced several doctors that it may help in tobacco cessation. But research has revealed otherwise- these e-cigarettes lead to further use of tobacco by promoting addiction to nicotine. We as a society, have to ensure that not only tobacco products even such e-cigarettes are not sold to minors so that the law is implemented in letter and in spirit. The role models whom we look up to have to be held accountable for their actions.
(The writer is M.Ch.(Surgical Oncology) Surgical Oncologist: Email [email protected]. Views expressed are personal).
