Union Health Ministry Issues Notices To 15 Websites Selling, Advertising e-Cigarettes

New Delhi, July 19 (TNA) The Union Health Ministry has sent notices to 15 websites for selling electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). They have been directed to stop advertising and selling e-cigarettes. Official sources said that legal action will be taken against these websites if they do not respond to the notices and comply with the law. The government is also keeping an eye on six more websites. Notice can also be given to them, an official informed.

The Ministry is monitoring the sale and advertisement of e-cigarettes on the Internet media. The law came into force in the year 2019 to ban electronic cigarettes. It bans the production, manufacture, export, import, movement, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e-cigarettes. It has been said in the notice, we have found that information related to the sale of e-cigarettes and online advertising is being displayed, published, broadcast and shared on your platform, which is illegal.

Four websites responded to the notice. Fines may also be imposed under the IT Act and/or the Electronic Cigarette Prohibition Act. The websites were asked to respond within 36 hours of receiving the notice. The source said that of the 15 websites that have been issued notices, four have responded and stopped operations, while the rest are yet to respond.