To understand Mizo Vape, one must first understand the deep entrenchment of tobacco in Mizo culture. Pre-Christian Mizo society used tuibur (tobacco-infused water) as a stimulant for hunters and warriors. Hmetu (chewing tobacco with betel nut) and zol (tightly rolled local cigarettes) were ubiquitous. A 2018 study by the Mizoram State Cancer Society found that Mizoram had the highest prevalence of tobacco use in India (over 70% of adults) and the second-highest rate of oral and lung cancer nationally.
[Institutional Affiliation] Date: April 14, 2026 mizo vape
The introduction of e-cigarettes around 2015-2017 was initially seen by some public health officials as a potential harm-reduction tool—a "cleaner" nicotine delivery system. However, by 2019, the central government adopted the precautionary principle and banned vaping entirely. This prohibition did not eliminate demand; it drove it underground and, crucially, localized it. The "Mizo Vape" was born from this gap between prohibition and persistent nicotine dependency. To understand Mizo Vape, one must first understand