Many countries have shown a decrease in the percentage of smokers with the coming of safer alternatives including e-cigarettes and the same can happen in India, said David Sweanor, Professor of Health Law, Policy and Ethics, University of Ottawa, Canada.
“In Japan, 25 per cent of the e-cigarettes markets have gone down in less than 2.5 years because they got heat not burn products, something that can substitute for cigarette but without inhaling smoke,” Sweanor told The Pioneer.
Citing examples of other such countries, he said, “In Iceland, smoking went down by 40 per cent in the last three years by usage of e-cigarettes.” Similarly, in England, there are 3 million people that are into vaping (using e cigarettes), he said.
Saying that e-cigarettes are not just safer alternative but also open new business opportunities, he said, “A regulatory regime that encourages to move to new technologies that are less hazardous will not only save lives but will be creating huge business opportunities.”
India is going through that business transformation, so it will be great idea to save million lives and make billion dollars simultaneously, he added. Worldwide, around 20,000 people die regularly due to smoking, he said.