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Chandigarh: Leading public health experts from across India and abroad on Tuesday raised serious concerns over the growing digital proliferation of e-cigarettes and Oral Nicotine Pouches (ONPs), warning that weak enforcement and aggressive online marketing are exposing youth to new forms of nicotine addiction.
The concerns were voiced during an international consultation on “Tackling the Digital Landscape of E-Cigarettes and Oral Nicotine Pouches (ONPs) Globally,” organised by the Tobacco Control Section of The International Union of TB and Lung Disease, SIPHER and ECHO India.
Chairing the session, Dr Rakesh Gupta said that while India has enforced a strict ban on e-cigarettes through the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019, enforcement gaps continue to allow online availability of such products. He cautioned that both e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches pose serious health risks, including addiction and cardiovascular and respiratory complications, particularly among youth.
Delivering the keynote address, Prakash C. Gupta highlighted the complexity of regulating these products in a digital ecosystem. He noted that although more than 34 countries have banned e-cigarettes, nearly 60% of such products remain accessible online in some regions, underlining the borderless challenge of e-commerce and digital sales.
Focusing on industry tactics, Cyril Alexander, Executive Director of Movement Against Tobacco Consumption (MACT), said that digital platforms and social media have become a “free playground” for tobacco companies to promote and sell nicotine products. He warned that targeted online advertising is leading to early exposure among children and adolescents, normalising harmful consumption patterns.
Dr Shalini Bassi of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) presented findings from a recent study on e-cigarette marketing in India. She revealed that while over 55% of respondents were aware of e-cigarettes, 93% were unaware of the legal ban under PECA 2019. The study also found that 196 influencers—mostly from outside India—were promoting such products, with nearly 70% portraying them positively.
Highlighting the emerging market threat, Dr Shivam, Technical Advisor with STOP India and Vital Strategies, said the global market for Oral Nicotine Pouches has already reached $2 billion, with products containing up to 40 mg of nicotine per pouch, levels that could prove fatal in certain cases. He pointed out that multinational tobacco companies are aggressively expanding this segment.
Adding an international perspective, Dr Waseem Iftikhar Janjua of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute noted that Pakistan has emerged as a major manufacturing hub for ONPs, exporting them to multiple countries, further complicating regulatory efforts.
Summing up the deliberations, Dr Rana J Singh of Vital Strategies South-East Asia stressed the urgent need for stricter enforcement of existing laws, stronger digital surveillance, and global cooperation to tackle the growing menace. He emphasised that policy frameworks must evolve rapidly to keep pace with the changing digital landscape.
The consultation concluded with a call for coordinated global action to curb the unchecked online promotion and sale of nicotine products, especially to protect vulnerable youth populations from a new wave of addiction.
