Concerned at the alarming surge of digital tobacco promotion targeting the youth, Mothers Against Vaping — a coalition of mothers formed to protect children from the dangers of all kind of tobacco products — has sought urgent and decisive action against manufacturers engaged in such manipulative marketing.
Despite existing legislation that bans the advertisement of tobacco and nicotine products, manufacturers are exploiting digital platforms to glamorise vapes, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco devices — with content deliberately designed to appeal to impressionable children and teenagers, said the organisation in a statement here.
“As digital natives, today라이브 바카라 youth are especially susceptible to such manipulative marketing, which poses a grave threat to their health and well-being,” said Dr. Bhawna Barmi, psychologist, founder of Happiness Studio, and an active member of Mothers Against Vaping.
Kushboo Sundar, actress and politician, Kishwar Desai, author and columnist and sports icons and influential role models like Baichung Bhutia, Deepa Malik and Neha Dhupia are already part of the organisation, supporting the cause.
Dr. Barmi noted that while robust laws such as the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019, and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, exist on paper, poor enforcement has allowed the rampant promotion and easy availability of these harmful products.
“This situation demands immediate and coordinated intervention across multiple government ministries, stricter monitoring of digital platforms, and accountability for those responsible for creating and distributing such content,” Dr. Barmi said.
The group has formally appealed to several key central ministries — including Home Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Consumer Affairs, Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and Information & Broadcasting — urging them to address this critical issue through a unified and strategic response.
The Mothers Against Vaping has also demanded that the Government instruct digital platforms to remove all content that promotes or glamorises vapes, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products, or trivialises the risks associated with conventional tobacco use.
It has also proposed setting up of an inter-ministerial task force comprising representatives from the Ministries of Health, Information Technology, and Information & Broadcasting to actively monitor and curb the illegal online promotion of tobacco-related products.
Under PECA 2019, the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement of electronic cigarettes are unequivocally banned.
Similarly, COTPA 2003 — particularly Section 5 — prohibits both direct and indirect advertisements of tobacco products.
“By promoting sleek and stylish vape devices on social media, manufacturers are deliberately encouraging children and teenagers to experiment with these addictive products,” said Dr. Barmi. “At such a vulnerable age, young people are easily swayed by peer pressure and the desire to appear ‘cool’, often mimicking behaviors they observe online.”
She stressed that this online content is not accidental, but a calculated strategy by tobacco companies to normalize and market harmful products to a new generation. “To uphold the spirit of our tobacco control laws, enforcement must target not only the content creators but also the corporations and brands behind these campaigns.”
Echoing similar views, Shruti Nagar Dave, author and education specialist, noted, “While digital platforms have revolutionized education and access to knowledge, it's deeply troubling that the same platforms are being misused to promote banned products like e-cigarettes and vapes.
These companies must be held accountable and play an active role in removing such content in partnership with parents, educators, and the government.”
The Mothers Against Vaping also highlighted that the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, obligate intermediaries to ensure that their platforms do not host or disseminate content that violates Indian law. “However, platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Telegram continue to carry content promoting prohibited tobacco products.”
Under Rule 3(1)(b) of the IT Rules, intermediaries are required to inform users and enforce guidelines that prohibit hosting or sharing content that is illegal, obscene, invasive of privacy, or otherwise in violation of Indian laws.
This includes the promotion of tobacco products, which is stringently regulated. By continuing to host such content, these platforms are not only breaching national regulations but also undermining public health efforts, the statement added.
