Statement from Jose Luis Castro, President and Chief Executive Officer at Vital Strategies, on the Government of India’s decision to implement a nationwide ban on the sale, manufacture, import and advertising of e-cigarettes:
“We applaud the government of India for taking decisive action to protect the country’s youth from e-cigarettes. This decision complements the government’s ongoing work to reduce India’s tobacco epidemic. This will help India avert the escalating youth vaping crisis seen in other countries, fueled by unscrupulous marketing and kid-friendly flavors. It will also protect youth from the harms of nicotine exposure through e-cigarette use, from addiction to negative impacts on adolescent brain development.
In the United States, unregulated introduction of e-cigarettes into the market has led to an epidemic of youth vaping, with a jump of 73% over a single year. We urge governments around the world to join India in regulating e-cigarettes in line with circumstances in their own country, to prevent e-cigarette use among adolescents and youth and stop these products from undermining efforts to reduce tobacco use.”
About Vital Strategies’ work in tobacco control:
Vital Strategies works globally and in more than 40 countries to support the adoption of proven policies to reduce tobacco use. Our global team of experts use policy, advocacy and strategic communication to help governments adopt life-saving, public health “best buys” like comprehensive smoke-free laws and high tobacco taxes. Our evidence-based public education campaigns – designed to encourage quitting, delay initiation, support policy goals like compliance with smoke-free laws, and over the long term, reduce the acceptability of smoking and change attitudes about the tobacco industry – have been seen by more than 2 billion people. We partner with American Cancer Society to produce The Tobacco Atlas, (sixth ed.) the most comprehensive report on the evolving global tobacco epidemic, and support production of WHO’s MPOWER reports. Vital Strategies is a main partner in the $1 billion Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.
For more information on Vital Strategies’ work in tobacco control, please visit: https://www.vitalstrategies.org/programs/tobacco-control/
Media Contact: Christina Honeysett, Director, Public Relations – press@vitalstrategies.org