The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the response of the Centre and the AAP government on a plea seeking to regulate the sale and consumption of e-cigarettes. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the Centre and the state government and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and asked them to file their replies in six weeks.

The court listed for hearing on April 4 next year, a plea filed by Seema Sehgal, a homemaker, who sought directions to the governments to formulate a policy and guidelines for advertisements and regulation of sale, production and supply of the product.

E-cigarettes are hand-held devices which help to create the feeling of tobacco smoking. Various makers of the device say that the e-liquid inside the device heats up when activated and creates an aerosolized vapour which provides a flavour similar to tobacco.

Senior advocate Ashok Bhasin, appearing for Sehgal, sought directions to authorities to inform the public about the harmful effects of the e-cigarettes containing nicotine.

The plea claims that the e-liquids comprise of a solution of liquid nicotine. The petition has said that the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, which governs the tobacco consumption law, does not provide for the use of e-liquids containing nicotine.