India has announced a ban on electronic cigarettes that covers the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, advertising and storage of e-cigarettes, The Guardian reported.

The announcement came one day after New York became the second US state to ban flavoured e-cigarettes following a series of deaths associated with vaping. “The decision was made keeping in mind the impact that e-cigarettes have on the youth of today,” India’s finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, was quoted as saying. The government said it would advance tobacco control efforts and contribute to a reduction in tobacco usage. Penalties include up to one year in prison, the report said.
Although few Indians vape at present, the Indian ban also cuts off a huge potential market of 1.3 billion consumers for makers of e-cigarettes. According to the World Health Organization, India is the world’s second-largest consumer of traditional tobacco products, which are not covered by the new ban.
According to the report, the Association of Vapers India said the government’s move “indicates it is more concerned about protecting the cigarette industry than improving public health”.