title: Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): Mapping the Indian Online Retail Market.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Motivating tobacco consumers to change their behavior, and harm reduction strategies, are the predominant traditional approaches to tobacco cessation. Recent trends worldwide have shown the emergence of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), as a purported harm reduction strategy to traditional cigarettes. Considering the global rise in the popularity of ENDS, our study aims to survey the online retail market for ENDS in India.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study was conducted in September-October, 2015 and 4 keywords were used to search Google India to identify online retail websites marketing ENDS. Each website was searched using the same keywords and all specific website pages displaying ENDS models were considered. Thus, data was obtained for various measures of ENDS present on the model descriptions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 6 retail shopping websites were searched which revealed 65 different models of ENDS (34 brands). Forty-five models (69%) were flavored and 21 models (33%) mentioned about nicotine strengths. Seventeen models (26%) provided health warnings in their product descriptions. "No tar no tobacco" was most common claim accounting to 34 models (51%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article provide insight into the current status of evident online sales of ENDS in India. There is urgent need to implement regulations on online sales of these products and protect the future from such approaches of tobacco control which still have divided opinions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study permits the use of web search engine to explore market availability of ENDS at various online retail websites. Recommendations from the study can be used to guide policy makers in developing strategies tailored to regulate availability and online sales of ENDS in India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Vikrant R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Mohanty
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Puneet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chahar
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Aswini Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Balappanavar
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Vipul
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yadav
mesh_terms: D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D033161:Government Regulation; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D020407:Internet; D040541:Marketing / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011356:Product Labeling