Big tobacco deliberately targeting children to establish lifelong customers: Mothers Against Vaping

New Delhi: Mothers Against Vaping have strongly raised the issue about e-cigarettes and other new-age gateway products, which include electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), heat-not-burn (HNB), e-hookah, and much more. Mothers Against Vaping stressed the urgent need to understand that through these products, the international tobacco companies are purposefully targeting little children, teens and the youth with the immoral intention of luring them into using new-age gateway devices and securing them as lifelong customers. This predatory targeting of children has also been highlighted by experts globally, and most recently, it was raised in discussions in the Scottish Parliament.

The association has consistently criticised international tobacco and vaping companies for deliberately targeting children to establish a consumer base for their addictive and harmful products including all kinds of new-age gateway devices such as e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn electronic devices. Stressing the critical need for increased awareness, they highlighted the urgency of educating the public about the intentions of these companies.

Dr Varuna Pathak, Former Professor, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Gandhi Medical College and Member, Mothers Against Vaping said, “Targeting children as a future market by tobacco and vaping companies is entirely unacceptable. Our stance against this unethical practice has been validated by global experts.”

“Despite the ban on vaping devices and e-cigarettes in India, their availability is cultivating a generation addicted to these habits, potentially leading them towards tobacco use. It's crucial to debunk misconceptions that paint e-cigarettes as harmless vapour inhalation. Recent research underscores the substantial harm caused by inhaling these substances, posing risks to lung health and impacting various facets of children's development, including cognitive abilities and brain development,” added Dr Pathak.

Dr Bhavna Barmi, Head Psychologist, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, said, “In addition to being considered a gateway to lifelong tobacco habits, these new-age gateway devices are fostering a new generation of individuals becoming habituated to these products. This rising trend is not only prevalent globally but also noticeable in India. Similar to the concerns raised by Scottish parliamentarians, our own parliamentarians should engage in discussions with experts to ensure that vaping and e-cigarettes do not take root within our country.”

“Recent trends indicate a shift where more young individuals are initiating nicotine use through vaping rather than traditional cigarettes. This presents a significant challenge—a new generation becoming addicted solely through the use of e-cigarettes, which in turn will give rise to various psychological challenges amongst users,” added Dr Barmi.