VAPING BAN UP IN SMOKE

Despite a nationwide prohibition announced in 2019, accessing e-cigarettes has never been easier. As the country continues to sit on a tinderbox, SREYA DEB takes a deep dive into the burning issue

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SAKSHI (NAME CHANGED) has been a regular user of vapes for the past one-and-a-half years. “I picked up vaping when I was trying to quit smoking,” says the 28-year-old working professional based in Bengaluru.“I borrowed my first vape from a friend, and then bought my own—an Elf Bar—a few weeks after using it,” she recalls. “I have used disposable vapes as well. I buy them only from a cigarette shop near my workplace, as the owner knows me by now that I’m his regular customer,’ she adds.

Sakshi is aware of the ban and does not want to get caught on the wrong side of it. But she says she is also reluctant to quit vaping as she is still dependent on it to wean herself off tobacco.

Sakshi’s story is not unique. Even though vaping was banned in India seven years ago, many youngsters like her still can’t seem to kick the habit. Sellers, in turn, ensure that their products are readily available across local markets, and even on some online platforms, while openly defying the prohibition.

When this correspondent visited a few cigarette shops in south Delhi, she was told by most of the owners that while they used to stock vaping products earlier, now they make them available only on demand. “Police patrolling on this street is quite regular, so we do not risk selling vapes too openly,’ says a shopkeeper. “But we can arrange it in a few hours or by the next day if a customer asks for one,’ adds another.

Apart from roadside shops, a simple Google search throws up a number of online platforms selling vapes—We Vape India, VapeMonk, India Vape Store, House of Vapes, and TheVapeStorePro, to name a few. They stock globally renowned brands like Elf Bar and iGet, as well as products from others. They sell disposable vapes, refillable vapes, juice cartridges, and vape kits as well.

Open secret