V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), Feb 15:
The Health Ministry is planning to ban the import and sale of e-cigarettes in the Kingdom.
The issue was discussed during the 70th conference of GCC Health Ministers Council held in Doha early this month, where member states were urged to impose a blanket ban on these products.
E-cigarettes first appeared on the market in Bahrain a year ago, however the government has recently received reports from various sources including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US-based Food and Drug Administration showing that such products are even more dangerous than regular cigarettes.
“We are studying the issue legally and Health Minister Dr. Faisal Alhamer will issue a decree after it is approved by the Cabinet,” Assistant Undersecretary for Primary Care and Public Health Dr. Mariam Athbi Al Jalahma told DT.
Dr. Al Jalahma added that as a member of the GCC, Bahrain must abide by the regulations of the bloc and comply with its recommendations.
Although e-cigarettes have been available in Bahrain for a while, they failed to attract consumers, mainly due to the high cost of the product when compared to regular cigarettes. Each reusable e-cigarette reportedly costs between BD40 and BD50 and consumers must then purchase refills once the cartridge is used up.
The product was initially allowed into Bahrain on condition that e-cigarettes would be banned if found to be harmful.
“Now that we have information from the WHO and other similar organisations, we are looking into the issue,” Dr. Al Jalahma said.
Concurring with the Health Ministry’s view, Head of the Smoking Cessation Clinic at the American Mission Hospital, Dr. Babu Ramachandran, said that a proper study on the efficacy of e-cigarettes in helping people quit smoking has not been carried out so far and the WHO is considering a move to ban these products.
The doctor added that there is a “strong chance” that the product would attract teenagers leading to a new form of addiction to this kind of smoking. “It is still unknown whether it can help smokers to quit smoking and the FDA has also said that the e-cigarettes contain tobacco-specific nitrosamines which are human carcinogens,” he said.
Unless it is proven that e-cigarettes can help smokers quit and the product is shown to be safe, countries must be cautious in promoting e-cigarettes, Dr. Ramachandran said.
E-cigarettes are powered by electronic battery and provide inhaled doses of nicotine or non-nicotine vaporized solution. The product is made to look, taste and feel like a real cigarette with even a red LED at the tip.
Manama (Bahrain), Feb 15:
The Health Ministry is planning to ban the import and sale of e-cigarettes in the Kingdom.
The issue was discussed during the 70th conference of GCC Health Ministers Council held in Doha early this month, where member states were urged to impose a blanket ban on these products.
E-cigarettes first appeared on the market in Bahrain a year ago, however the government has recently received reports from various sources including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US-based Food and Drug Administration showing that such products are even more dangerous than regular cigarettes.
“We are studying the issue legally and Health Minister Dr. Faisal Alhamer will issue a decree after it is approved by the Cabinet,” Assistant Undersecretary for Primary Care and Public Health Dr. Mariam Athbi Al Jalahma told DT.
Dr. Al Jalahma added that as a member of the GCC, Bahrain must abide by the regulations of the bloc and comply with its recommendations.
Although e-cigarettes have been available in Bahrain for a while, they failed to attract consumers, mainly due to the high cost of the product when compared to regular cigarettes. Each reusable e-cigarette reportedly costs between BD40 and BD50 and consumers must then purchase refills once the cartridge is used up.
The product was initially allowed into Bahrain on condition that e-cigarettes would be banned if found to be harmful.
“Now that we have information from the WHO and other similar organisations, we are looking into the issue,” Dr. Al Jalahma said.
Concurring with the Health Ministry’s view, Head of the Smoking Cessation Clinic at the American Mission Hospital, Dr. Babu Ramachandran, said that a proper study on the efficacy of e-cigarettes in helping people quit smoking has not been carried out so far and the WHO is considering a move to ban these products.
The doctor added that there is a “strong chance” that the product would attract teenagers leading to a new form of addiction to this kind of smoking. “It is still unknown whether it can help smokers to quit smoking and the FDA has also said that the e-cigarettes contain tobacco-specific nitrosamines which are human carcinogens,” he said.
Unless it is proven that e-cigarettes can help smokers quit and the product is shown to be safe, countries must be cautious in promoting e-cigarettes, Dr. Ramachandran said.
E-cigarettes are powered by electronic battery and provide inhaled doses of nicotine or non-nicotine vaporized solution. The product is made to look, taste and feel like a real cigarette with even a red LED at the tip.
2 comments:
I've been looking for some nice blogs lately and this one just caught my eyes. Have a good day ahead. Such interesting content you have. ciprofloxacin 500mg
I went over this website and I conceive you've got a large number of splendid information,http://ecigtop.com/e-cigarette-batteries-how-to-make-them-last-longer/
Post a Comment