Bengal bans production, stocking & sale of 'gutkha', 'pan masala' for a year from Nov 7

KOLKATA: The state Health department once again banned the production, stocking and sale of 'gutkha' and pan masala, which contain tobacco, for a year from November 7.

The office of the commissioner of food safety under the state Health department issued a notification on Monday prohibiting the sale of these items, which contain tobacco and nicotine. "For the interest of public health, the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of any particular item containing tobacco and nicotine will be prohibited in the state for a period of one year," reads the order.

It may be mentioned here that the Mamata Banerjee government had decided to ban gutkha, betel spice and several other tobacco products for the first time in 2019. Earlier in 2013, the state government had banned khaini, gutkha and pan masala in Bengal for one year. Various state governments earn revenues out of selling these items. However, the Bengal government had taken the decision for the interest of public health. Many states have also taken steps to ban gutkha and other products with nicotine.

"Tobacco products like gutkha, khaini and paan masala, which accounts for 30 per cent of cancer burden in India, particularly in Bengal. The estimated economic cost of diseases attributed to tobacco use stands at Rs 1,04,500 crore, which is 1.2 per cent of the GDP. Rampant use of such products is a major health issue in Bengal and other states. A mere ban on the production and sale of tobacco products will never check the usage completely. The police will also have to strictly enforce the rules and take action against those who flout the rules," said Dr Gopeswar Mukherjee, a health expert in the city.

"As per regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011 made by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, in the exercise of powers conferred by clause (i) of sub-section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Central Act 34 of 2006) read with section 26 thereof, prohibits sale of articles of food in which tobacco and/or nicotine are used as ingredients, as they may be injurious to health," reads the notification issued by Tapan Kanti Rudra, commissioner of food safety.