Smoking, vaping, HTP, NRT and snus in India

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India Background

9.3% of the adult population are current smokers

There are approximately 100.2 million current smokers in India

16.7% of men are current smokers but only 1.4% of women

Country profile

Data sourced: 2025. Page updated: 2025-12-11

Smoking in India

There has been a downwards trend in current smoking prevalence in the general population in India. Smoking prevalence was 19% in 2000 and declined to 11.5% in 2015, with a further drop to 8.5% projected by 2025. For men the prevalence decreased from 32% in 2000 to 21% in 2015, with a further decrease to 16% projected by 2025. For women a much lower prevalence of 6% in 2000 dropped to just under 2% in 2015, and is projected to decrease further to less than 1% by 2025. The WHO published prevalence trend estimates in tobacco smoking, as shown here, in their 2018 2nd edition report, which show slightly different smoking prevalence to the WHO country profiles. Data for the estimates are not age standardised, and were obtained from WHO databases. The trend lines are projections, not predictions, of future attainment. A projection indicates a likely endpoint if the country maintains its tobacco control efforts at the same level that it has implemented them to date. Therefore the impact of recent interventions could alter the expected endpoint shown in the projection. While the methods of estimation used in the first and second editions of the WHO report are the same, the volume of data available for the second edition is larger i.e. 200 more national surveys. The results presented are therefore more robust.

1,048,266

Deaths

In India, 1.0 million people die each year due to tobacco smoking.

0%

e-cigarette vaping

The prevalence of current e-cigarette vaping among adults is 0%.

Details & datasheet on smoking in India

Nicotine Vaping Devices

in India

In India, e-cigarettes are subject to stringent regulations. The overall regulatory status of e-cigarettes is classified as banned. The law enforces a complete ban on all forms of advertising related to these products. It is illegal to sell e-cigarette devices and nicotine, both online and in physical stores. Moreover, it is prohibited to import e-cigarette devices or nicotine for trade, and purchasing these products for personal use, whether online or through other means, is banned by law. In India it is illegal to sell nicotine for e-cigarette vaping.

Details & datasheet on vaping in India

Heated Tobacco Products

in India

In India, Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) are banned by law, prohibiting their import, sale, and advertisement. Their use is also prohibited in public places. HTP is illegal to be marketed.

Details & datasheet on HTP in India

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

in India

In India, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is allowed, and it is legal to use, sell, and purchase NRT products from general stores. These products are regulated as medicinal products. The government provides full financial support to cover the cost of NRT, as it is included on the country's essential drugs list. The market size for NRT in India was USD 33.09 million in 2023.

Details & datasheet on NRT in India

Snus

in India

In India, snus is banned by law, including its sale, purchase, and all forms of advertisement. However, it is not specified in online sources whether snus can be imported for personal use. If you have any relevant or firsthand information, please share it with the GSTHR team.

Details & datasheet on snus in India

Pouches

in India

Nicotine pouches are prohibited by law in India, including their sale and online purchase. However, available sources do not indicate if they can be imported for personal use. If you have any relevant and firsthand information, please share it with the GSTHR team. Pouches are illegal to be marketed.

Details & datasheet on pouches in India

Top Stories from India

December 12, 2025 by thestatesman.com

Story

Anurag Thakur urges Speaker to act against Trinamool member over using e-cigarette in LS chamber

Former Union Minister and BJP MP Anurag Singh Thakur filed a complaint to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging that an AITMC MP used an electronic cigarette inside the Lok Sabha chamber. Thakur said the act was witnessed by several members and reported to the Chair during Question Hour. In his letter, he described the incident as a serious …

Regions: Asia India

Thakur Files Written Complaint against TMC MP for Smoking e-Cigarette in House

December 12, 2025 by deccanchronicle.com

Smoking allowed outdoors: Defiant Trinamool MP on Parliament cigarette row

December 12, 2025 by indiatoday.in

BJP MP confronts Trinamool's Saugata Roy over smoking at Parliament premises. He walks off | Video

December 12, 2025 by hindustantimes.com

September 16, 2025 by newsbytesapp.com

Story

Tobacco kills 13.5L Indians yearly, costs nation ₹1.8L crore

Tobacco is a major health issue in India, causing 1.35 million deaths annually. Treating …

Regions: Asia India

August 19, 2025 by filtermag.org

Story

Indian Doctors Join Call to End the Country’s Vape Ban

India's vape ban has lasted six years, despite over 1 million smoking-related deaths yearly. …

Regions: Asia India

August 18, 2025 by gfn.tv

Story

GFN.TV Interviews #67 | BANNED IN INDIA | Vape Prohibition and the Fight for Harm Reduction

In India, hundreds of millions of tobacco users are kept in the dark about …

Regions: Asia India

April 16, 2025 by theopinionpages.com

Story

Rethinking Bloomberg’s Tobacco Control Influence: A Global Critique

The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, ratified in 2005, aims to …

Regions: Asia India

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The GSTHR database is updated regularly by our team. However, please be aware that the information we provide does not constitute legal advice. We cannot guarantee that the information is up to date or accurate, as the regulatory status of different product categories can change at short notice and with little publicity. If you wish to check the legal status of use or possession of any safer nicotine product in a specific country or region, you should verify the information independently. If you have reason to think that the information supplied on the GSTHR is inaccurate, please contact us with details and any references and we will rectify any errors.

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