Health Ministry issues notice to 15 websites selling e-cigarettes, asks to stop advertisement, sales
PTC News Desk: Union Health Ministry has issued "takedown notices" to 15 websites selling e-cigarettes, which are banned in India. The Ministry has directed them to stop the advertisement and sale of the products, official sources said.
Six more websites are under investigation, they added, noting that the ministry is also closely monitoring the advertisement and sale of e-cigarettes on social media and may issue notices soon.
According to an official source, four of the 15 websites that have received the "takedown notice" stopped operations, while the remainder have yet to reply.
It went on to say that if others do not follow the laws, they will be compelled to contact the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to have them removed.
"Legal action will also be taken against these websites accordingly," a source told CNBC TV18.
The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage, and Advertisement) Act oversees e-cigarette commercial operations in India. The act, which went into effect in 2019, restricts the sale of such products on Indian territory.
“We have identified that information relating to online advertisement and sale of illegal e-cigarettes, which is unlawful under Section 4 of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act is being hosted, displayed, published, transmitted and shared on your platform," the health ministry added.
"In light of the above, and under section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), and in pursuance of the government notification dated November 15, 2021, the undersigned is hereby authorised to direct you to disable access and or remove any information identified in the enclosed document without vitiating the evidence in any manner," it further said.
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- With inputs from agencies
