Vapes explained: What are they and why has India banned them?

After Riyan Parag, Yuzvendra Chahal’s viral plane video has pushed the IPL vaping controversy into even hotter waters. In the clip, Chahal appears to be holding a sleek, pen-like device mid-flight, triggering a storm of comments and questions online.

The outrage comes barely days after Riyan Parag reportedly faced BCCI action for allegedly using an e-cigarette during the tournament, and together the incidents have reopened uncomfortable questions: what exactly is vaping, how does Indian law view it, and where do players’ responsibilities begin and end?

What exactly is a vape?

On a crowded street or in the business-class cabin of a plane, a quick drag from a small device followed by a sweet-smelling cloud can look casual, even harmless. But in India, that tiny gadget sits in the crosshairs of one of the strictest regulatory regimes in the world.

Vapes, or electronic cigarettes, are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid to create an aerosol the user inhales and exhales. There is no burning tobacco; instead, a metal coil warms an e-liquid that often contains nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals. Most devices share the same anatomy: a battery as the power source, a tank or cartridge for the liquid, and an atomiser that turns it into an inhalable mist.

Why health experts are worried

For young fans watching their heroes on and off the field, the perception problem is obvious.

Vapes are often marketed in candy-like flavours, come in discreet, stylish designs and are widely seen as a “cleaner” alternative to cigarettes. That image, however, clashes with what health agencies and medical experts have been warning for years: the aerosol is not just “water vapour”.

It can carry nicotine, ultrafine particles, heavy metals and other substances that irritate the lungs and may harm the heart. Nicotine itself is highly addictive and can impact brain development in teenagers and young adults, making any on-camera normalisation by star athletes especially sensitive.

India’s hard line: A blanket vape ban

India’s legal stance makes the optics even sharper. Under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019, the country has imposed a blanket ban on the vaping supply chain.

The law outlaws the manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertising of electronic cigarettes and related devices. That includes disposable vapes, pod-based systems, advanced “mods” and the e-liquids they use, whether or not they contain nicotine.

For fans, travellers and players alike, the practical takeaway is simple: vapes have been forced out of the formal legal market in India.