Bill introduced in Senate calls for regulating use and sale of e-cigarettes in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: A bill has been introduced in the Senate to regulate the Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), popularly known as e-cigarettes, in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.

The bill, introduced by Pakistan Peoples’ Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) Senator Sarmad Ali, calls for prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes in open public spaces and vehicles, restricting, and regulating their sale to minors, banning advertisements inconsistent with prescribed guidelines. The bill also calls for banning the sale of e-cigarettes near educational schools.

The bill defines ENDS as “any device or appliance, whether battery-operated or otherwise, that delivers nicotine, flavored vapor, aerosol, or similar substances for inhalation. This includes, but not limited to, e-cigarettes, vapes, vape pens, e-shisha, sheesha devices, pods, cartridges, e-liquids, and their accessories.”

On the packaging and labelling of the ENDS product, the bill recommends “tamper-resistant and child-resistant package which shall be protected against breakage and leakage.” It added that the packaging must not include any element or feature that depicts real or fictitious characters or objects that are likely to appeal minors, including comic or cartoon characters, toys, or confectionary.

Regarding product standard requirements, the bill maintained that a unit of ENDS product “must not contain nicotine in excess of 40mg/ml as prescribed by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Authority.”

It recommends ban on the advertisement of ENDS. However, it allows for the sale and distribution of ENDS online, with ban on selling them to children under 18. The bill recommends probation of use of ENDS in public places, public service vehicles, sale to minors, and distribution near educational institutions. The bill recommended penalties for violating its various sections.