Goa Govt Hails Bill to Ban Electronic Cigarettes

Panaji, Dec 2 (PTI) Passage of the law banning e-cigarettes will boost the Goa government's mission to make state tobacco-free, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Monday.

Parliament on Monday passed a bill prohibiting the production, trade, transport, storage and advertisement of electronic cigarettes in the country.

The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Bill, 2019, was passed in Rajya Sabha with a voice vote. It was passed in Lok Sabha earlier this month.

"Rajya Sabha today paved the way for a ban on e-cigarettes and passed the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Bill, 2019.

"With the implementation of the said bill by the central government, this decision will definitely boost our mission of a tobacco-free Goa," Rane tweeted.

The bill defines electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as electronic devices that heat a substance, which may contain nicotine and other chemicals, to create vapour for inhalation.

The bill provides for imprisonment of up to one year, or a fine of up to one lakh rupees, or both to a first-time violator.

For any subsequent offence, it says that the crime will be punishable with an imprisonment of up to three years, along with a fine of up to five lakh rupees.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)