The Cabinet is likely to approve the Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2013 this month, which proposes a complete ban on the manufacturing, import and sale of e-cigarettes, with a provision of imprisonment of a maximum of six months, a fine or both.

Later, it will be placed in Parliament for passage into law.

The prime minister has already instructed the Health Ministry to amend the law, to make it more in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and compatible with the vision of building a tobacco-free country by 2040.

Regarding the current status of the legal amendment process, Hossain Ali Khondakar, coordinator of the National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) under the Health Ministry, said that the amendment proposal is expected to be brought up in the Cabinet this month.

“The ministry believes that e-cigarettes and vaping are as harmful to health as cigarettes,” he added.

The use of e-cigarettes is increasing alarmingly in the country and posing a major threat to public health—mainly teenagers and youths, health experts warn.

They suggest that smoking e-cigarettes or vaping is just as harmful to health as cigarettes, and therefore, it should be banned through a speedy revision of the law.

To safeguard public health, a total of 32 countries including India, Sri Lanka, Thailand,  and Singapore have already banned e-cigarettes.

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