Online sales compliance with the electronic cigarettes ban in India: a content analysis

Beladenta Amalia (), Shivam Kapoor (), Renu Sharma (), Marcela Fu (), Esteve Fernández () and Jugdeep Singh Rana ()
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Beladenta Amalia: Catalan Institute of Oncology-ICO
Shivam Kapoor: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)
Renu Sharma: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)
Marcela Fu: Catalan Institute of Oncology-ICO
Esteve Fernández: Catalan Institute of Oncology-ICO
Jugdeep Singh Rana: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)

International Journal of Public Health, 2020, vol. 65, issue 8, No 34, 1497-1505

Abstract: Abstract Objectives To investigate the availability of and to characterise the internet electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) vendors (IEVs) that continued to sell vaping devices in an Indian city despite the promulgation of an Indian Ordinance on 18th September 2019 that prohibits e-cigarettes nation-wide. Methods A structured internet search engine queries to identify IEVs. Subsequently, a content analysis to all identified IEVs was performed to check if they delivered vaping products to a New Delhi address (non-compliant with Indian Ordinance). Those non-compliant IEVs were then described according to some characteristics of interest. Results Sixteen out of 45 identified IEVs (35.6%) were not compliant with the Indian Ordinance. Amongst them, half were general e-commerce, 75.0% did not apply any age verification methods, and 56.3% did not feature health or safety warnings on their websites. Many of these IEVs employed a wide range of promotional strategies, such as price discounts, health benefits claims, and social networks utilisation. Conclusions E-cigarettes were still highly available and accessible in an Indian capital city through online sales following a bold step taken by the country to totally ban vaping products.

Keywords: E-cigarettes; ENDS; Policy; India; Internet; Sales (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1007/s00038-020-01480-6

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