‘The Gutkha (chewing tobacco) industry is trying to make a mockery out of the ban issued by the government. These advertisements are a misleading campaigns and the tobacco industry is just trying to regain its profits,” she added.

Amal Pusp, director at Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, ‘It is necessary for all states to abide by the central laws. All information campaigns like these are going against the decisions of the court. These advertisements are being repeatedly published. The government is planning to take legal action against the advertisers.’

The Government of India had directed sixteen states/union territories to ban the manufacturing, sale, distribution and storage of Gutkha and other products containing tobacco or nicotine in 2011.

It also passed a law that every state government is supposed to follow the directives of the government.

Source: IANS

It was, however, after the Allahabad High Court’s tough stand last month that the decision on the ban was expedited, officials said. The high court Sep 18 had directed the government to clear its stand within two weeks on banning gutka in Uttar Pradesh and warned that if it failed to act then the court would itself slap a ban. The directives had come from a bench of Justices Amar Sharan and Anurag Kumar while hearing a petition by the Uttar Pradesh chapter of the Indian Dental Association, contending that the consumption of gutka was detrimental to health and hence should be banned. 

The matter will now come up for hearing Oct 10. Uttar Pradesh accounts for the maximum oral cancer cases, largely due to chewing tobacco products like gutka, according to doctors. The government was under considerable pressure to defer the decision, as the main gutka manufacturing areas included Kanpur, Kannauj and Mainpuri — the last two being the bastions of the Yadav family. 

Source: IANS

The directive came from a bench of Justices Amar Sharan and Anurag Kumar while hearing a petition by the Uttar Pradesh chapter of the Indian Dental Association, contending that the consumption of gutka was detrimental to oral and overall health and hence should be banned. The next date of hearing on the matter has been fixed for Oct 10.  Pointing out the habit could lead to the scourge of cancer, the petition also added that 12 states in the country have already banned the manufacture and sale of gutka.  The petitioners also alleged that due to huge revenue profits coming from gutka sales, the state government was dragging its feet on taking a decisive action on the matter.

Source: IANS

With India having the highest prevalence of oral cancer and the small plastic packets of gutka being hideously available at kiosks across the country and city and at prices as low as one rupee, it was a move that was long overdue. “By banning gutka, the Delhi government has demonstrated tremendous commitment towards safeguarding the health of people of India and protecting the masses, especially the youth from the growing menace of tobacco addiction,” said Bhavna B. Mukhopadhyay, executive director of the Voluntary Health Association of India.

“This praiseworthy step will go a long way in saving lakhs of lives and also reducing the government spending on treating tobacco related diseases. This is a great example before other states,” Mukhopadhyay told IANS.  ”It is bad for health. Banning gutka and khaini will only benefit many. The Delhi government took the right decision, even though belated,” Riddhi, a Delhi University student, said. 

Executive Rajendra Sharma, 55, agreed but expressed apprehension about the effectiveness of the ban. “Chewing tobacco destroys the young. By the time they realise how bad it is, it is too late. So it is a very good step, but the point is how effective will be the implementation.”  A cigarette vendor, who stocks gutka and did not want to be named, said candidly that “those who have to get gutka, will get gutka.”

“There is always a black market,” he said wryly. Auto driver Dharam Choudhary, from neighbouring Faridabad, said gutka was banned in the Haryana town but they still managed to get it. “Sab jagah milta hai (you get it everywhere),” he said.

Choudhary added that gutka was not banned in Noida, since it was in Uttar Pradesh, but it happened to be part of the National Capital Region. “All we have to do is drive down to Noida,” he said. Even Dhaniya Devi, a daily wage earner, expressed scepticism. Dhaniya Devi, who was chewing tobacco even while speaking to IANS, wondered whether it really had any negative effect. 

“I have no idea if it is bad for health… If government decides not to sell it, what can we do. But I think it will be sold, maybe not openly but yes, it will be,” she said. 

The other 12 states to have banned chewing tobacco are Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Gujarat and Mizoram.

According to a recent report, 24.3 percent adults (40.9 percent males and 3.7 percent females) currently use some form of tobacco. Nearly 10.5 percent adults (16.7 percent males and 2.8 percent females) currently consume smokeless tobacco like gutka, khaini, zarda and other chewing tobacco products.

India has the highest prevalence of oral cancer globally, with 75,000 to 80,000 new cases of oral cancer in a year. Gutka sold in small pouches across the country has become a serious health hazard with its easy availability and low price. Given the taboo against smoking, it has also become popular with the youth and women. 

Source: IANS 

The plea was filed by a registered society – Doctors for You. ”After issuing a notification, manufacturing, sale and other activities with respect to gutka and other related products would be banned. The violation of this would attract strict action,” the official added.

The prevention of food adulteration department has been authorised to collect samples and register cases against traders and manufacturers violating the ban. ”Delhi government feels that the ban had become necessary to overcome health hazards and has taken the decision without bothering about huge loss (in terms of taxes) after enforcing ban on such products,” the official said.

Other states like Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharasthra, Punjab and Rajasthan have already banned gutka.

Source: IANS

 He said that other food products containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients, by whatsoever name, had also been banned. These products were earlier banned only in the districts of Amritsar, Ropar, Mohali and Mansa as these have famous religious shrines. Various states have already banned the sale and manufacture of gutka, 

Five gutkha manufacturers had challenged the state government’s notification of July 19 banning the manufacture, distribution, storage and sale of gutkha and paan masala.

The manufacturers said that since gutkha contained 6-8 % tobacco and had no nutritional value couldn’t be termed under the food category. It therefore wasn’t under the purview of the FSSA and should have come under the Tobacco Act, 2003.

The affidavit by Advocate General D J Khambata and government pleader D A Nalavade stated that manufacturers, while insisting that the central legislation would cover the sale of gutka and paan masala, “have ignored the mandate of a later special statute. The FSSA, also enacted by the Centre, has an overriding effect over all other laws”.

The affidavit filed by Kamlesh Sankhe, Joint Commissioner of Police (Food), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), cited a nation-wide study by the Global Adult Tobacco Survey in 2009-10 that indicated that there were 27.49 crore gutkha and paan masala addicts constituting 99.9 per cent of the surveyed population above the age of 15.

Over 1000 samples of gutkha and paan masala, when tested revealed that over 98% of them flouted the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules. It added that all the 84 samples analysed under the Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011 contained prohibited anti-caking agents like magnesium carbonate. “The state shall regard raising the level of nutrition and standard of living and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties and, in particular, it shall endeavour to prohibit consumption, except for medicinal purposes, of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health,” Sankhe stated.

Seven states have banned the manufacture and sale of gutka and paan masala. 

“Cancer cases are on the rise and of the total cancer cases, 25 per cent are related to mouth cancer. The state cabinet has agreed to ban manufacturing, storage, distribution and sale of tobacco and nicotine based gutka and pan masala,” said Jharkhand Cabinet Secretary N.N. Pandey told reporters here after the cabinet meeting. Health Minister Hemlal Murmu said: “From today (Tuesday) gutka and pan masala have been banned. We will ensure that the ban is implemented strictly in the state.”

Several states in India have already banned manufacture and sale of both gutka and pan masala. Jharkhand is the seventh state to ban gutka after Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh.

Tobacco use is estimated to have caused nearly 120,000 deaths across India in 2010, according to research carried out by the Toronto-based Centre for Global Health Research (CGHR) in partnership with Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital. Nearly 600,000 Indians die of cancer every year – over seven in 10 deaths (71 percent) takes place in the 30-69 age group, the most productive period of a person’s life, says the report published in the latest issue of the Lancet medical journal. The study points out that Kerala had among the highest age standardised cancer mortality rates per 100,000 for men in the 30-69 age group (158.5 for all cancers and 53.9 for tobacco-related cancers).

Source: IANS

Haryana is the sixth state to ban gutka  after Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh.

Tobacco use is estimated to have caused nearly 120,000 deaths across India in 2010, according to research carried out by the Toronto-based Centre for Global Health Research (CGHR) in partnership with Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital. Nearly 600,000 Indians die of cancer every year – over seven in 10 deaths (71 percent) takes place in the 30-69 age group, the most productive period of a person’s life, says the report published in the latest issue of the Lancet medical journal. The study points out that Kerala had among the highest age standardised cancer mortality rates per 100,000 for men in the 30-69 age group (158.5 for all cancers and 53.9 for tobacco-related cancers).

Source: IANS

“However, he admitted that the ban will not solve the problem completely. It requires the cooperation of the public,” he said. Gehlot said that the decision is expected to cause a revenue loss of around Rs.125 crore to the state exchequer. The chief minister said that violation of ban would attract a fine ranging from Rs.25,000 to Rs.10 lakh.

Source: IANS