Delhi govt bans all forms of chewable tobacco for one year

Delhi


style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"> government has banned the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of pan masala, gutkha and all forms of chewable tobacco for one year. According to a notification issued by the Department of Food Safety, unpackaged products of chewable tobacco too are covered under the scope of the ban.

Delhi government had issued a notification in September, 2012, in pursuance of a series of directions from Supreme Court for a ban on gutkha in the city. But since the term gutkha was used in that notification, tobacco retailers started selling the components of gutkha, betel nut and raw tobacco in separate pouches, thus defeating the purpose behind the ban on gutkha. The health department therefore, came up with a new proposal for banning all raw chewable tobacco products in Delhi.