Bombay waiting on whether vapor to be classified as a drug

The Bombay High Court in India on Friday stayed the State government’s action against vapor products and said it will now determine whether e-cigarettes fall under the definition of drugs.

A Division Bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre was hearing a petition filed by e-cigarette manufacturer Godfrey Philips India Ltd. and its director Sharad Aggarwal, challenging a notice issued on July 6, 2019, by the Drug Inspector (Greater Mumbai), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to an article posted on thehindi.com.

The notice followed an inspection of the stock of e-cigarettes, and the FDA claimed it was banned in Maharashtra.

The petitioners said the Delhi High Court had stayed the circular issued by the State banning e-cigarettes. Senior counsel Amit Desai said the petitioners are entitled to similar relief and the stock that has been seized needs to be released, according to the story.

The court directed the Centre to spell out its stand on whether e-cigarettes was a drug and hence banned.