Pakistan imposes ban on selling e-cigarettes to individuals under 21

MARDAN: In a bid to curb the use of tobacco and e-cigarettes among youth, Deputy Commissioner of Mardan enforces Section 144 on the sale of cigarettes and vaping devices in to individuals below 21 years of age.

According to the details, the DC imposed a restriction on the sale of cigarettes and vaping products within a 50-meter radius of educational institutions in the city.

Meanwhile, the authorities warn that legal actions will be taken against violators under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

British American Tobacco (BAT) must stop advertising its e-cigarettes from any public account on Instagram, including some influencers’ accounts, the UK’s advertising watchdog ruled on Wednesday.

Earlier to this, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also directed the company to remove all ads related to Vype on Instagram.

The decision stems from a probe into seven Instagram posts by Vype after some health groups raised complaints in March that they were likely to appeal to those below 18 years of age.

The complaints from Action on Smoking and Health, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products also alleged the company had used models who appeared to be under 25, which is prohibited in the UK.

The ads must not appear again in the form complained about, the ASA said in a statement, upholding complaints that the company had breached online advertising laws and used under-25 models through those posts.