Anti-smoking groups, said to be alarmed by the rising use of electronic cigarettes in Myanmar, want the authorities to control the sale of these devices.
According to a story in the Myanmar Times, the People’s Health Foundation (PHF) and its partner organizations are planning to submit their proposals to the relevant ministries.
The PHF is concerned that electronic cigarettes are not covered by the current tobacco law.
Among the suggestions that are likely to be forwarded to the government are that the government should control e-cigarette imports, and that these devices should not be sold to anyone under the age of 21.
“We expect our proposals on electronic cigarettes to be submitted to the ministries in February,” said Dr Than Sein, PHF’s president.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Non-Communicable Disease unit of the Department of Public Health was quoted as saying that “electronic cigarettes are harmful to public health as they contain chemical ingredients like nicotine”.
According to a 2014 survey of Myanmar, about 43.8 percent of men and 8.4 percent of women are smokers, while 62.2 percent of men and 16 percent of women are tobacco users.
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