On World No Tobacco Day experts flag concerns about illegal promotion of new-age gateway devices endangering adolescents and the youth

Reinforces commitment to raise awareness and take action against vaping

• Mothers Against Vaping releases comprehensive report titled ‘Unmasking the Appeal – How Vapes & E-Cigarettes Continue to be Promoted Unabated in India’
• Despite clear laws, promotion of new-age gateway devices including vapes is rampant and goes unchecked
• Viral Vapours – Stealth marketing being used to target children and the youth
• Report provides recommendations – immediate and policy actions

New Delhi, 29 May 2025: On the occasion of WHO (World Health Organisation) World No Tobacco Day 2025, experts at a seminar raised serious concerns about the illegal promotion of new-age gateway devices endangering the lives of adolescents and the youth across India. The event was organised in line with the theme of the Day – Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products, Mothers Against Vaping. The experts also reinforced their commitment to spreading awareness and take decisive action against the growing threat of vapes, e-cigarettes, and other HTPs (Heated Tobacco Products).

In the event, Dr Avinash Sunthlia – Deputy Additional Director General (DADG), Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India said “Why is the industry using new tactics to attract our youth?  Because the industry needs new users to consume these new devices so that they can be turned into lifelong consumers. Hence, despite the ban on these products through the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019, producers have found ways to circumvent the laws and promote e-cigarettes and vapes.  They also market these devices as safer alternatives for smoking cessation, but it is about recruiting new users for a lifetime of dependence,”

“To spread awareness we have issued comprehensive guidelines for schools, initiated capacity-building programmes for teachers, and are working closely with influencers and digital creators to speak up about the dangers of vaping. We’ve also launched an online reporting platform that empowers everyday citizens to flag violations related to the sale or promotion of these banned devices so that prompt action can be taken. I’d like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to Mothers Against Vaping for their unwavering commitment and advocacy on this critical issue”, added Dr. Sunthlia.

The seminar was organised at the Indian International Centre, New Delhi by Mothers Against Vaping, a united front of concerned mothers combating the escalating vaping crisis among our youth. In the event, various experts put the spotlight on the role of promotions in targeting a new generation of young users through new-age gateway devices even as Mothers Against Vaping released a report titled “Unmasking the Appeal – How Vapes & E-Cigarettes Continue to be Promoted Unabated in India”.

Mr Jaspal Singh, Special Commissioner of Police for Protective Security, Delhi, in his keynote address, said, “Vapes are more dangerous than cigarettes because through such devices, one can even consume hard drugs. Based on my experience, several users have confessed to using vaping equipment for hard drug intake. What makes the threat more dangerous is the way these products are promoted. Manufacturers and sellers use tactics like influencer marketing on social media to glamorise these devices and target young users while avoiding direct accountability and prosecution.”

“There has to be a proper coordination between customs authorities, police authorities, transporter associations and even courier agencies to stem the rising tide of e-cigarettes and vapes. Also important is public involvement, but for that to happen, citizens need to be aware that these devices are banned in India. Therefore, it is critical that the government launch strong awareness campaigns to inform people about the illegality and dangers of these devices”, added Mr. Singh

Ms Padma Jaiswal – IAS, Secretary to the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry, said, “I would really like to acknowledge the great effort done by Mothers Against Vaping. I believe that such a kind of initiative and prioritisation has not been done by any civil society organisation earlier towards generating awareness of the issue.”

“The government has made the law banning vaping and e-cigarettes because it has seen from its own data that most of the users who are being affected by vaping are the adolescents who are in the schools and colleges. Being a mother myself, I am aware that vaping is rampant and the habit leaves a strong impact among the adolescents and the youth. They are attracted to these devices because they are promoted as a luxury, a style statement with the narrative that it is neither harmful nor punitive. Therefore, we need to raise the awareness that these electronic devices are banned in India,” Ms Jaiswal added.

On the occasion, Mothers Against Vaping also released investigative report exposing the alleged covert strategies employed by global vaping and e-cigarette brands to infiltrate India’s digital landscape, circumventing the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) of 2019. Despite the ban, these entities exploit media loopholes, leveraging digital platforms, influencer marketing, and surrogate advertising to glamorise their products .

The comprehensive analysis reveals a disturbing trend: the deliberate targeting of Indian youth through social media channels. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are inundated with content portraying vaping as a trendy, harmless lifestyle choice. Influencers, often with substantial followings, are co-opted to promote these products, masking their dangers under the guise of modernity and sophistication. Influencers have emerged as stealth marketers—turning reels, reviews, and jokes into powerful tools of vape promotion. From casual endorsements masked as lifestyle content to creative smoke tricks that mimic skill, the influencer ecosystem plays a crucial role in making vaping look aspirational, trendy, and even humorous.

Despite the ban, India’s digital and informal markets continue to thrive in brazen defiance of the ban. Hence, the report provides for a number of recommendations as below:

Recommendations from the report: 

Immediate Actions To Stop Promotion of Vapes and E-Cigarettes

1. Coordinate Enforcement Efforts: Establish robust coordination between cybercrime units, law enforcement agencies, and regulatory bodies to proactively monitor and identify violative digital content and actors.
2. Initiate Legal Proceedings against Violators: Launch immediate legal action under relevant provisions of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019 (PECA) and other applicable laws.
3. Dismantle Digital Channels: Identify and issue directives for taking down social media pages, handles, and websites that promote vapes.
4. Issue Platform Wide Directives: Direct social media companies, technology platforms and digital marketplaces, including domain service providers, to comply with Indian law by proactively detecting and preventing promotion of these banned products.
5. Initiate action against Manufacturers and Sources: Pursue action against manufacturers, importers, and distributors who make these dangerous products available for sale.

Policy considerations to prevent a public health relapse driven by a new generation of nicotine products: 1.        Mandate Disclaimers:  Disclaimers clearly specifying that Vaping, E-cigarettes and Heat-Not-Burn devices are prohibited by Indian Laws’ should be mandated on all forms of communication and advertising – even on private and personal posts that promotes vaping. 2.        Introduce financial penalties:  All platforms that host or amplify vape promotion should be financially penalized as per Section 7 of PECA 2019. Global social media companies  must be held financially accountable for algorithmically boosting content that promote or glamourizes vaping. 3.        Invoke Juvenile Justice Act Sec 77 for Penalising Violations: The digital adaptation of the traditional surrogate advertising model such as the use of youthful imagery, school references, hostel reels, and meme formats to promote or normalise vaping should be addressed through section 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.The act criminalizes such advertising and violators face up to 7 years imprisonment and ₹1 lakh fine. 4.        Blacklist Payment Gateways Supporting Violator Domains:  The government must publish a blacklist of identified vape-seller domains and accordingly mandate account freezes and platform bans for gateways facilitating transactions for these new-age gateway devices. As per the report, multiple banned sellers continue to operate openly on Indian internet infrastructure, using Shopify storefronts and Razorpay payment gateways to facilitate transactions. 5.        Criminalise Paid Collaborations that Promote Surrogate Categories: Influencer advertising often hides behind coded language: “aroma sticks,” “flavour drops,” “stress diffusers.” Such promotions are designed to skirt platform moderation and create a proxy culture of endorsement. Platforms like YouTube and Instagram must be required to flag such posts, while creators found accepting money or gifts for promotion should face criminal prosecution under PECA 2019 and Section 6 of The Consumer Protection Act, 2019. 6.        Mandate Third-party Audits of Platform Algorithms:  To de-prioritise glamour content that is boosted through engagement-focused algorithms all major platforms operating in India should be mandated to conduct independent audits of their content recommendation engines. Any metric found disproportionately boosting content that includes smoking/vaping must be flagged, reviewed, and algorithmically downgraded. Platforms should submit quarterly compliance reports to the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) 7.       A National “Vape Literacy” Mission Led by Healthcare and Youth Networks: A national mission modeled after campaigns like Pulse Polio or Swachh Bharat Abhiyan should be launched to create awareness across schools and educational institutions to explicitly inform people that vaping is banned in India, and equip them to identify illegal sales and misleading promotions. 8.       Incentivize Whistleblowers:  Implement a structured incentive program for individuals who report violations by sellers, importers, and users of banned products such as vapes, e-cigarettes, and heat- not-burn devices. There should be a communication campaign on encouraging and rewarding such whistleblowers.