Hyderabad is facing a serious issue with banned electronic cigarettes, despite a 2019 prohibition by the Union government. These vapes are widely accessible in the city, sold openly even to minors, and distributed through platforms like Instagram, Telegram, and WhatsApp. City police warn of strict consequences for using e-cigarettes, emphasizing that parents of teen users could also face legal action.
The availability of these illegal e-cigarettes is causing alarm among parents and law enforcement. Although the ban was meant to shield young people from harmful addictions, the market is flooded with inexpensive, unbranded e-cigarettes from China.
Local shops, including paan stalls, offer various vape flavors such as watermelon, kiwi, ice grapes, mixed berry, apple, and strawberry kiwi ice. Despite the ban, they sell disposable vapes with capacities from 6,000 to 30,000 puffs. Vape enthusiasts claim these devices are less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
Prices for vapes range, with a 6,000-puff vape costing around Rs 1,000, and a 30,000-puff model priced at Rs 8,000 or more. Brands like Elfbar, Raya D3, Nasty Max, Naked 100 Max, and iMix are commonly sold, mostly manufactured in China.
Social media groups on WhatsApp and Telegram frequently advertise these products. Teenagers and college students are the primary buyers, even those who don’t traditionally smoke. A 30-year-old man, preferring anonymity, shared that he uses e-cigarettes for their flavors, not for nicotine.
The trend is evident in Hyderabad, particularly on Instagram, where young people are seen using vapes in videos, adding a sense of coolness to their social media presence. School students also access these vapes, with vendors selling near educational institutions or offering home deliveries.
Following complaints from school staff in Abids, the Anti-Narcotics Bureau dismantled a group selling vapes around schools and colleges. Police arrested two individuals and seized over 1,200 e-cigarettes worth Rs 25 lakh. They identified numerous school students under 18 involved in drug use.
Educators raised concerns about vape sales to students in Abids, prompting police to monitor schools like Little Flower School, St Mary’s Jr College, St George Grammar School, Rosary Convent High School, and Sujatha High School and Jr College.
A senior police officer stressed that e-cigarettes are not a safer option, citing risks like cardiovascular disease, lung damage, seizures, and nicotine poisoning. Police urged families to discourage vape use, highlighting the health dangers, especially for youth.
A law from 2019 bans e-cigarette production and sale to protect public health. Since then, the Indian Government has prohibited their manufacture, import, export, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement nationwide.
