The Ministry of Health in India has proposed a ban on the manufacture and import of electronic cigarettes. This comes a few days after the first death was reported as a result of lung disease, caused by cigarettes otherwise known as "Juul".
The ministry has proposed that the government issue an executive order banning the devices in the public interest, saying it was necessary to ensure e-cigarettes do not become "epidemic" among children and young people.
"Electronic cigarettes and similar technologies that encourage the use of tobacco or negatively affect public health are dangerous for an active user as well as a passive one," said the ministry, Reuters reports.
Officials are proposing prison terms of up to three years and fines of up to $7 for repeat offenders against the new rules.