Indian Media Have Revealed That The Ban On Electronic Cigarettes Is Unlikely To Prevent Illegal Sales. Social Media Has Emerged As The Main Channel For Such Illegal Sales.

According to Mediaindia news report, data shows that despite the Indian government's severe crackdown on e-cigarettes, illegal sales activities both online and offline remain rampant.
On September 18, 2019, India imposed an e-cigarette ban, which covered production, manufacturing, import and export, transportation, sales, distribution, storage, and advertising.
Despite such regulations, e-cigarettes are still being sold across India. According to a study by the Indian Public Health Foundation (PHFI), 66.6% of respondents learned about e-cigarettes through social media, with Instagram being the most popular platform. Another report indicates that e-cigarettes are often purchased from tobacco stores, grocery stores, and online platforms.
During a large-scale operation at the end of 2024, customs and checkpoint officials (ICP) intercepted illegal e-cigarettes worth 27.5 million Indian rupees (320,000 US dollars) at the Raxaul railway station in Bihar near the India-Nepal border.
According to a study by the George Institute for Global Health, a global research institution in Delhi, in 2023, about 61% of 15-30-year-old Indians have never used e-cigarettes, but there is a high possibility of trying them in the future. A survey shows that 51% of Indian respondents are interested in e-cigarettes, 49% say they would use them if offered by friends, and 44% plan to try them within a year.
A report from the National Library of Medicine of the United States found that there are 83 illegal e-cigarette stores in India selling e-cigarettes. Among them, 61.4% were discovered through Google searches, followed by social media. Notably, nearly half of the Indian e-cigarette stores emerged after the ban in 2019.
An anonymous user stated that the ease of access and appeal of e-cigarettes have significantly lowered the entry threshold. Many small vendors, including small betel nut stores, are secretly stocking up on e-cigarettes and obtaining devices and refill packs easily in those common smoking social circles. The various flavors and smooth tastes make them particularly attractive to first-time users. E-cigarette brands are still widely available in India.