Delhi Police asks officers to strictly enforce ban on electronic cigarettes

New Delhi: Delhi Police has asked its officers to ensure strict enforcement of the ban on electronic cigarettes. Till February this year, two letters have been written from the Office of Commissioner of Police to senior officers reiterating the need to strictly enforce the ban on electronic cigarettes as per recent legislation.

Police sources told Millennium Post in February, a DCP rank officer wrote a letter to DCPs of districts and units about the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security circular which reads that upon Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (GoI) it has been decided that e-cigarettes include all forms of electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS), heat not burn products, e-hookah and the like devices.

The circular further read, "By whatever name called and whatever shape, size or form it may have but does not include any product licensed under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 is prohibited from production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement in the premises of aerodromes, aircraft and from taking out of India to a place outside India or bringing into India from a place outside India."

In the letter, the Delhi Police told its officers, "It is, therefore, requested that all quarter concerned under your administrative control may be sensitized for meticulous compliance with immediate effect." Last year in October, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written to the Chief Secretaries of State Governments and UT Administrations regarding the act.

"An opportunity is provided to the owners of existing stocks of e-cigarettes on the date of commencement of the Ordinance (September 18, last year) to suo moto declare and deposit these stocks at the nearest police station without any unnecessary delay," reads an excerpt from the letter.

Earlier, in January, the Delhi Police had sent a letter to its officials referring to a Health Ministry letter, which was sent in December 2019. The officers were asked to take necessary action and compliance accordingly. According to the Ministry letter, sufficient time was given to the stock owners from September 18, 2019, to declare and deposit existing stocks of e-cigarettes at the nearest police station. "Now the authorised officers may be directed to proceed as per the provision of the Act," reads the letter.