Keeping in view the growing health hazards, The government is likely to issue a notification regarding a ban on e-cigarettes on the grounds that they are "drugs".
The government had decided to ban nicotine inhalers, also known as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) after identifying their harmful effects.
The proposal to ban battery-operated products is part of the first '100 days agenda' of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government.
The sale of e-cigarettes in India is currently unregulated and the government has been considering banning the devices.
However, under the current law governing tobacco products, the government cannot ban cigarettes but only regulate their sale.
The government had reportedly set up a panel to look into how to ban e-cigarettes.
The panel, according to a report by business website Livemint, concluded that e-cigarettes could be classified as "drugs" since they are used, among other reasons, for nicotine de-addiction.
Some organisations claim that these devices help in smoking cessation and are less harmful alternatives to traditional cigarettes, while the government is seeking to ban them contending they pose health risks to users, similar to those of conventional cigarettes.
According to Livemint, more than 460 brands of the e-cigarette are available in India. Different brand has a different nicotine delivery configuration and over 7,700 flavours.
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