Gandhinagar: The Union govt said in the ongoing Parliament session that in 2024-25 (until Dec 11), Gujarat recorded seven cases where 379 e-cigarettes were seized. The Union govt stated that the value of seized e-cigarettes this year is Rs 6.51 lakh. In 2023-24, there were 16 cases of e-cigarette seizures in Gujarat and 129 e-cigarettes worth Rs 3.06 lakh were seized.
According to data provided by the Union govt, e-cigarette cases have been filed in only four states of the country in the ongoing financial year — Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Assam.
While e-cigarettes worth Rs 1.08 crore have been seized from Maharashtra, e-cigarettes worth Rs 1.01 crore have been seized from UP. The value of the seized e-cigarettes in Gujarat was Rs 6.51 lakh and the seizure in Assam was worth Rs 5,037.
An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), commonly called a vape, is a device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomiser, a power source such as a battery and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapour. The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement) Act (PECA), 2019, was enacted by the Centre on Dec 5, 2019, to prohibit electronic cigarettes and similar devices.
