The Union home ministry has written to the states and Union Territories asking them to ensure enforcement of the prohibition on e-cigarettes.

The ordinance empowers police officers of the rank of sub-inspectors and above and other officers as stipulated with the power to enter any establishment, search and seize the prohibited items without warrant.

“Prohibition of electronic cigarettes (production, import, export, sale, distribution, storage & advertisement) Ordinance, 2019, was promulgated on November 18 for banning production, sale, purchase, etc of electronic cigarettes in interest of public health,” the home ministry’s notification ordering the implementation of the ban said.

The notification added that the authorities must ensure the enforcement of the provisions of the ordinance, “considering the potentially deleterious impact of e-cigarettes on public health, especially in respect of the young population going to schools and colleges”.

The Centre announced the ban on the sale, storage and manufacture of e-cigarettes in September. The Union cabinet on September 18 approved the Prohibition of E-cigarettes Ordinance 2019 that seeks to ban the consumption, production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e-cigarettes.