New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) — Herbal tobacco cessation products (HTCPs) are being sold widely on major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Blinkit without adequate regulation or verified health claims, according to a new study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR).
The study, published in BMJ’s Tobacco Control journal, found 316 unique HTCPs across five leading platforms — Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit, JioMart, and Meesho. These products include herbal capsules, lozenges, gutkha substitutes, powders, smokes, and gummies, marketed as natural and safer alternatives to conventional therapy.
“Herbal tobacco cessation products are widely available with unverified health claims and minimal regulatory disclosure. This poses major consumer protection and tobacco control challenges,” said Dr. Prashant Kumar Singh, corresponding author and scientist at ICMR-NICPR. He called for stronger oversight, claim verification, and alignment with WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control guidelines.
The analysis revealed:
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Only 12% of products displayed age restrictions, with no functional age verification in place.
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43.7% promoted additional claims like detoxification or anxiety relief.
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Just 0.5% referenced WHO affiliation, raising concerns of misleading endorsements.
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Products fell into three main categories: combustible (42.7%), raw herbal (34.5%), and other formats such as capsules, patches, and drops (22.8%).
Pricing ranged from ₹15 to ₹1,467, with premium products concentrated on Amazon. Flavours included apple, paan, and gulkand.
Despite being largely unregulated, 62.3% of products carried at least one certification or quality claim — including ISO (23.4%), AYUSH systems (20.3%), Good Manufacturing Practice (15.2%), and FSSAI (13.2%).
Researchers stressed that evidence on the safety and efficacy of HTCPs remains limited, underscoring the urgent need for regulation to protect consumers and ensure authentic health claims.
