Factbox: India becomes latest country to ban sale of e-cigarettes

China Tobacco International (HK)

18/09/2019 19:10

Sept 18 (Reuters) - India became the latest country after
Brazil and Thailand to ban the sale of e-cigarettes in what
could potentially be the biggest move against vaping globally
over growing health concerns.
    The ban, which also covers the production, import and
advertising of e-cigarettes, cuts off a huge future market from
e-cigarette makers at a time when the number of people smoking
worldwide is declining. India has 106 million smokers, second
only to China.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2692FF
    It could also dash the expansion plans of companies such as
Altria  MO.N  backed Juul Labs and Philip Morris International
 PM.N  in the country.
    
    Here are some countries who have banned or have restricted
the use of e-cigarettes: 
    
    Brazil
    Vaping products and e-cigarettes have been banned since 2009
due to a lack of evidence regarding the alleged therapeutic
properties and harmlessness of these products. (https://bit.ly/2kSNaIe)
    
    Singapore
    Sale of e-cigarettes, considered a product of tobacco, are
banned in the city-state under its strict Tobacco Act, that also
bans the sale and advertising of these products including
cigars, cigarettes, chews.  (https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/TCASA1993)
   
    Thailand
    The Asian country has banned the sale and use of
e-cigarettes since 2014 for health reasons and because
electronic cigarettes were luring young people into smoking.
Being one of the most visited countries in the world, the use of
e-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, even by travelers could
lead to a heavy fine, according to guidelines from its embassy.
(http://bit.ly/2mgVMsz)
    
    Mexico
    The Latin American country, which according to the World
Health Organization is one of 15 countries worldwide with a
heavy burden of tobacco-related ailments, prohibits the sale,
distribution and manufacture of any product that resembles a
tobacco product, including e-cigarettes that contain nicotine.
(http://bit.ly/2mondRr)
   
    Cambodia
    The country has banned use and sale of all types of
e-cigarettes since the past couple of years, saying they are a
health hazard and could be quite convenient and attractive for
youth. (http://bit.ly/2kjyUYO)
    
    United States
    The country announced last week plans to remove flavored
e-cigarettes from stores, warning that sweet flavors had drawn
millions of children into nicotine addiction.
    The ban would include mint and menthol flavoring as well as
bubble gum, candy, fruit, alcohol and other flavors.
    The move came after U.S. health authorities were
investigating a handful of deaths and potentially hundreds of
lung illnesses tied to vaping.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2620YW
    
    United Kingdom
    Does not ban vaping, but limits the strength of e-liquids
and the size of their containers. Liquids with nicotine strength
above 20 mg/ml have been prohibited, while e-liquid containers
must have capacities of 10 ml or less. 
    There are also laws stating that manufacturers cannot claim
that their products are safer than traditional cigarettes, even
though Public Health England - a government agency that advises
on health care issues - has stated that vaping is 95% safer than
smoking. (https://bit.ly/2mliDDn)
       
    Japan
    Liquid nicotine is illegal in Japan. 
    Tight regulation of vaping has prompted aggressive marketing
of heated tobacco products (HTP) instead. Japan accounts for
over 90% of the world's $5 billion HTP market, according to
Euromonitor. Analysts estimate the category accounts for around
a quarter of Japan's overall tobacco sales.
    Philip Morris's iQOS has the biggest share, controlling
around 80% of Japan's heated tobacco category, followed by Japan
Tobacco International and British American Tobacco. (http://bit.ly/2mgohqi)
    
    China
    China's government has launched anti-smoking campaigns in an
effort to improve public health. Earlier this year it released a
draft document suggesting that China's laws regulating
e-cigarettes will eventually largely resemble those in Europe.
    China is the world's largest single market for tobacco
consumption with over 300 million smokers and is already home to
dozens of Chinese manufacturers such as Relx, Yooz and SNOW+
that have taken tens of millions of dollars in venture capital
funding. 
   Juul entered China last week with online storefronts on
e-commerce sites owned by Alibaba Group  BABA.N  and JD.com
 JD.O , but days later their products were unavailable on the
websites. The company did not say why sales were halted.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2683M9
    
    Australia
    Allows adults to buy e-cigarette products that do not
contain nicotine, but has banned those products that do contain
the chemical, which is covered under the Controlled Substances
Act 1984. 
    Possession or use of nicotine in e-cigarettes without
approval is also illegal and the sale of non-nicotine
e-cigarettes is illegal in some states. (https://bit.ly/2kQ7Alh)
    
    Source - Government websites, Reuters data

 (Reporting by Siddharth Cavale and Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru;
Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)
 ((siddharth.cavale@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S.
+1-646-223-8780; outside U.S. +91 80 6749 1130; Reuters
Messaging: siddharth.cavale.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))