Bihar State Government Completely Bans E-Cigs

In Bihar, a state in East India that borders the Himalayan country of Nepal, the state government has completely banned electronic cigarettes.

The sale, distribution, manufacturing, purchase, advertisement, and display of e-cigs is now officially banned across the state.

Can Bihar residents still buy e-cigs online? No. As part of the ban, online purchases of electronic cigarettes are also prohibited.

The notification, according to a report from India Today, was forwarded to all of state drug controller (SDC) Ravindra Kumar Sinha’s assistant drug controllers (ADC) and drug inspectors in order to ensure that the embargo is enforced across the state.

Why did the state government of Bihar enact an embargo on e-cigs? According to Deepak Mishra, the executive director of Socio-Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS), electronic cigarettes were banned in the state alongside other nicotine containing products in an attempt to protect the state’s youth from nicotine.

While some may not have heard of hookahs, which are smoking devices, there are also electronic hookahs (e-hookahs), which were previously banned in the state due to the government’s concerns over the younger generation being exposed to nicotine.

In Taiwan, the government is currently considering a similar move as seen in Bihar – a complete and total ban on electronic cigarettes which would similarly make their manufacture, distribution, importation, and advertising illegal in the country.

What do you think of Bihar’s decision to ban e-cigs?