Herbal tobacco cessation products on Indian e-commerce platforms: an emerging unregulated market with unsubstantiated health claims.

Abstract

Background: Herbal tobacco cessation products (HTCPs), marketed with claims to support tobacco or nicotine cessation, are increasingly sold online in low-income and middle-income countries. However, there is little regulatory oversight or evidence on their safety and effectiveness. This study assessed the availability, affordability, claims and regulation of HTCPs on Indian e-commerce platforms.

Methods: We systematically searched five major Indian e-commerce platforms (Amazon.in, Flipkart, Blinkit, JioMart and Meesho) using keywords related to herbal tobacco cessation. Product listings were screened and categorised by product type, claimed indications, presence of disclaimers, regulatory approvals and pricing. Findings were summarised descriptively.

Results: We identified 316 unique HTCPs across 5 major Indian e-commerce platforms. HTCPs were marketed in three primary formulations: combustible products (42.7%), raw herbal preparations (34.5%) and other formats such as gummies, drops, capsules and patches (22.8%). Products featured diverse flavours (eg, Apple, Paan, Gulkand) and varied widely in pricing (Indian National Rupees (INR)15-INR1467; US$0.18-US$17.67), with premium pricing concentrated on Amazon. Notably, 62.3% of HTCPs carried at least one certification or quality claim, including International Organisation for Standardisation (23.4%), Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (20.3%), Good Manufacturing Practice (15.2%) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (13.2%). A small fraction (0.5%) referenced WHO affiliation, raising concerns about potentially misleading endorsements. Additionally, 43.7% of products promoted ancillary health claims such as detoxification or anxiety relief. Only 12% of products displayed age restrictions, and none had functional age verification mechanisms.

Conclusions: HTCPs are widely available on Indian e-commerce platforms with unverified health claims and minimal regulatory disclosure. This poses significant consumer protection and tobacco control challenges. Strengthened oversight, claim verification and policy alignment with WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control guidelines are urgently needed.