Mothers Against Vaping (MAV), a collective of concerned mothers battling the menace of new age tobacco devices that threaten an entire generation by acting as gateway products, has called for an inquiry into the visuals showing cricketer Riyan Parag apparently vaping during an IPL 2026 broadcast.

Parag was seen with a vape like device during the Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings match. According to MAV it is concerning that while BCCI has said it will look into the incident, no notice has yet been issued. Further, certain media reports have cited that vaping indoors sits in a rules “grey zone.” This is misinformation. India’s Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019 bans the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of electronic cigarettes. Union Health Ministry has also clarified that possession of e-cigarettes in any form or quantity is a violation of the law. The law clearly specifies that violation can attract imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to ₹50,000, or both, while contravention of the wider prohibition can attract imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to ₹1 lakh, or both, with higher punishment for repeat offences.

An MAV spokesperson commenting on the issue said. “In India, the law must stand above all else. Whether one is a celebrity or a common citizen, the same rules must apply. No public figure should be allowed to make a mockery of a product category that India has already banned in the interest of public health,”

The collective also invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks when the ban was introduced. In Mann Ki Baat in 2019, the Prime Minister said e cigarettes had been banned to protect young people from a “new way of intoxication” and warned against them being treated as a fashion statement. This warning should guide all institutions today. “When a vape like device appears around a high visibility cricketer on national television, it becomes a message to millions of children watching.”

MAV said the incident must be investigated on several counts. “Was this a deliberate law defying act, a reckless mistake, or a calculated attempt at publicity around a banned product? These questions cannot be brushed aside.” The group added that the timing and visibility of the incident make the matter especially serious because India has recently had to reaffirm its ban amid intense lobbying by vested interests around such products, as reported by Reuters in February 2026.

MAV statement explains, “We are all seeing an unmistakable trend: multinational tobacco companies are desperate to keep vapes in public conversation and to normalise these devices in India despite the ban. In that context, it is legitimate to ask whether Riyan Parag was acting entirely on his own or whether this controversy served, intentionally or otherwise, as publicity for banned substances. We are asking for an investigation.”

MAV appreciated BCCI for taking cognisance of the issue, but said the cricket board must now show zero tolerance for any conduct that undermines Indian law or sends dangerous signals to minors. “BCCI should act in the interest of millions of fans, a vast majority of whom are children and teenagers. Indian cricket cannot afford conduct that normalises a banned product before young viewers. The board must establish facts, enforce accountability, and send an unmistakable message that the law and the health of India’s children come first,” the collective said. BCCI’s stated position that it would seek an explanation indicates the matter is under consideration.

MAV added that if Riyan Parag had no ill intention, he should say so clearly and cooperate fully with any inquiry. “He should voluntarily submit to due process. No celebrity can claim a different standard from the one applied to ordinary citizens.”

The collective reiterated that vaping is not a harmless lifestyle choice. New age nicotine devices are gateway products that hook adolescents through glamour, curiosity and imitation, and every public incident involving them pushes parents further onto the defensive. “Our children do not just watch celebrities  they copy them. That is why this matter must be treated with seriousness, not casually dismissed as a momentary lapse,” MAV said.