New Delhi: The Modi government of the Center has issued an ordinance on Thursday to ban the production, sale, storage, promotion and import-export of electronic cigarettes. Violators may also be jailed and fined. According to the ordinance, those violating it for the first time will face a sentence of up to one year and a fine of up to one lakh rupees.

Persistent violators of this ban can face a sentence of up to three years or a fine of up to five lakh rupees or both. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday that the cabinet has decided to ban e-cigarettes. There will be complete ban on production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, storage of e-cigarettes.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been the chairman of the Group of Ministers (GoM) that considered the ban on e-cigarettes. Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government has decided to ban e-cigarettes and other such products which threaten the health of the people especially the youth.

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