Of the 15 websites that have been issued “takedown notices”, four have ceased operations, while the rest are yet to respond. (symbolic image)
The Union Health Ministry has sent notices to 15 websites selling banned cigarettes in India.
Official sources said that the Union Health Ministry has sent notices to 15 websites selling banned e-cigarettes in India, directing them to stop advertising and selling the products.
He said that six more websites are on the radar, the ministry is also closely monitoring the advertisement and sale of e-cigarettes on social media and may issue notices to them soon.
An official source told PTI that of the 15 websites that have been issued “takedown notices”, four have ceased operations, while the rest are yet to respond.
“If they do not respond and do not comply with the law, the Health Ministry will write to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to remove these websites. Accordingly, legal action will also be taken against these websites.”
The Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Prohibition Act came into force in 2019.
The health ministry’s notice to the websites said, “We have found that information relating to online advertisement and sale of illegal e-cigarettes, which is unlawful under Section 4 of the Electronic Cigarettes Prohibition Act, is hosted, displayed, published, disseminated Is going Shared on your forum. You are hereby authorized to direct us to disable access or delete any information identified in the attached document without in any way impairing the evidence.”
The notice warned that failure to comply with the direction “could tantamount to aiding/encouraging transmission of such unlawful information or conduct of such unlawful activity, as the case may be, and hosting such information, data or communication”. You can be prosecuted for doing so.” Link”.
Further, failure to take the necessary action may attract penalty under the IT Act and/or the Electronic Cigarettes Prohibition Act, the notice said.
Online entities were asked to respond within 36 hours from the receipt of the notice.
“Of the 15 online units, four have responded and shut down their operations. We are still waiting for the response of the rest, failing which further action will be initiated, an official source said.
The ministry had in February written to all states and union territories to ensure effective compliance of the ban on e-cigarettes and expressed concern that these devices were still available online and with local vendors.
In a letter to chief secretaries, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said that there have also been cases of devices like e-cigarettes being sold near convenience or stationery stores and educational institutions, resulting in these products being easily accessible to children. are becoming available.
In May, the health ministry issued a public notice for strict implementation of the Act and directed all producers, manufacturers, importers, exporters, distributors, advertisers and transporters, including couriers, social media websites and online shopping websites, to produce, purchase or directed to sell. E-cigarettes directly or indirectly.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI,
