Over 60% of Indian youth at risk of using e-cigarettes

New Delhi Almost 61 per cent of people aged between 15-30 in India who have never used electronic cigarettes (e-cigarette) before are susceptible to taking up vaping in the future, according to a new study.

The study, based on an international survey of 4,007 people, including 456 from across India, identified exposure to e-cigarette advertising as having the second greatest effect on susceptibility, after current or past tobacco use, while perceived harmfulness reduced the likelihood of susceptibility.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), susceptibility to e-cigarette use among young people is a major public health concern due to the adverse health effects of nicotine on the developing brain and potential negative outcomes from other chemicals present in the devices.

“There is a growing concern that young people in India are becoming increasingly susceptible to the use of e-cigarettes. Urgent interventions and comprehensive campaigns addressing the risks and impact of e-cigarette use are imperative,” said Sudhir Raj Thout, Research Fellow, at the Institute in India.

Further, the survey showed that in India, 51 per cent, who had never used e-cigarettes before were curious about them, 49 per cent said they would use them if offered by a friend, and 44 per cent had intentions to use them in the next year.

Researchers also found that almost half (47 per cent) of Indian respondents had seen e-cigarette advertising. These results were comparable to the UK (63 per cent), China (51 per cent), and Australia (30 per cent) where the study also took place. The findings are published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

It is to be noted that the majority of the Indian respondents in the study had a higher education and could be categorised in the high-income group. However, they were less likely to believe that e-cigarettes are addictive (66 per cent) or harmful (66 per cent) compared to those in Australia (87 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively), where susceptibility was the lowest (54 per cent). The researchers called for a complete ban on e-cigarette advertising along with raising awareness on its harmful effects.

The tobacco market in India is one of the largest in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 27 per cent of the Indian population use tobacco in some form. In 2019, India introduced the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act to protect its significant young population from the harms of e-cigarettes.

However, despite the huge penalties, young people still have access to e-cigarettes through non-compliant retailers without featuring any health warning.