Vaping has exploded in popularity in recent years, albeit not among the people it was intended for. Rather than adults trying to quit smoking, young people who have never picked up a cigarette are now taking up vaping in record numbers across the country.

Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the vapour produced by the heated nicotine liquid (often called ‘juice’) of an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette or e-cig), vape pen, or personal vapouriser.

There is no study or actual data available about the number of users of e-cigarettes in Bangladesh. But officials from the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) of the health and family welfare ministry estimate that the number has already crossed over hundreds of thousands, a large part of which is underage youth.

Anti-tobacco campaigners like Progga, a research and policy organisation, also confirms that there has been a rise in vaping in the country.

A Progga fact sheet says that the rise of the use of emerging tobacco products among Bangladeshi youths has been alarming over the years, “as manifested in the growing number of vaping clubs everywhere”.

“The number of forums and groups on Facebook and other social media platforms created to sell, review, and exchange vaping items is also growing fast,” notes the fact sheet.

Alarmed at the rise of e-cigarettes, the government at the beginning of this December declared that it would prohibit the sale and use of electronic cigarettes and vapourisers, Reuters reported quoting a health official.

Many countries around the world have already made their move to ban vaping devices that have been inked with health risks and teen addiction.

The current tobacco control policy of the government has no mention of any regulations against vaping. Khairul Alam Sheikh, coordinator of the government’s NTCP programme, however, said a ban on e-cigarettes and vaporisers would be incorporated in the Tobacco Control Policy 2019, which is now being drawn up by the government.

Khairul also said vaping was still considered as a new phenomenonin Bangladesh and the NTCP was collecting data and information about it. “We’ve already received considerable policy push from anti-tobacco campaigners, who vehemently spoke against the profusion of vaping among the country’s young population,” he added.

Many experts say part of the reason for the surge in vaping in such a short time is the evolution of the devices themselves.

“We used to say that cigarettes are the most effective way of consuming nicotine, but e-cigarettes have replaced them,” Dr ANM Nuruzzaman, former director of the Directorate of Health Services (DGHS) of the government, told The Independent yesterday.

Vaping was thought to be originated as a smoking cessation aid, but it has quickly become a popular and addictive product in its own right, said Nuruzzaman, who was one of the influencers behind the popular coinage ‘Dhumpan ­e Bishpan’ (Smoking is like taking poison) in the country.

Nuruzzaman also said although vaping companies emphatically denied that they were marketing to young people, some prominent features in their advertisements, such as youthful images, animations, actors who appear to be under 21, and the promise of elevated social status, indicate otherwise.

There is also strong evidence of a potential long-term impact: vaping may encourage kids to smoke. Some research shows that vaping devices are not effective smoking cessation tools for young people aged under 25 years  because one can get hooked up to the nicotine that comes with it.

“The young people who are using e-cigarettes are children who rejected conventional cigarettes. But they don’t see the same stigma associated with the use of e-cigarettes,” Nuruzzaman said.

“But now, having become exposed to nicotine through e-cigarettes, they will be more likely to smoke,” he added.

In India, an executive order banning the production, import, sale, storage and advertising of vaping products was passed on September 18 this year, citing its rising popularity among the youth.

According to a report of Times of India, first-time offenders could face up to one year in prison and Rs. 1 lakh (USD1,397) in fine; subsequent violations will cost up to three years in jail and a fine of Rs. 5 lakh.

The use of e-cigarettes also attracted a global backlash after a spike in vapers contracting life-threatening lung diseases in the US. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating 380 confirmed or probable cases of the vaping-related illnesses.

Delwar Hossain, an e-cigarette user and a member of Vape Club Dhaka, an organisation of vape users, told The Independent that an outright ban of vaping would lead to the creation of a black market in the country, defeating the purpose of the ban. “We don’t mind the government-imposed regulation and taxes, but a ban will kill the conversation surrounding its health effects which are still unclear,” he added.