Govt notifies ban on all chewable tobacco, nicotine products | Bhubaneswar News

Bhubaneswar: State govt on Wednesday notified new rules imposing a complete ban on the manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of all products containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients, tightening existing restrictions.The ban covers all products, chewable or otherwise, that are flavoured, scented or mixed with additives. It applies to products sold under any name or form, including gutka, pan masala and other flavoured or scented chewable products.It also applies to products sold packaged or unpackaged, whether marketed as a single product or as separate packets distributed in a way that facilitates mixing by consumers, as well as any other food products containing tobacco and/or nicotine, regardless of the name under which they are sold.The notification supersedes an earlier order issued by the health and family welfare department on Jan 3, 2013. “Several products with various names containing tobacco and nicotine are widely available in the market and consumption of such products is hazardous to the health of the public,” the notification said.The govt cited public health risks from widespread use of smokeless tobacco with items such as pan masala, betel leaf, areca nut and slaked lime, stating that such consumption is especially harmful for children and young adults.Referring to the International Agency for Research on Cancer under the WHO, the notification said chewing tobacco products such as zarda, khaini, gutka and processed, scented or flavoured tobacco are classified as cancer-causing. It said these products can lead to dependence, severe oral health impairment and are linked to cancers of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, throat (pharynx and larynx) and kidney.According to the second round of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, more than 42% of Odisha’s adult population uses smokeless tobacco, nearly double the national average.“It has included all oral tobacco products of any form being manufactured, sold, hoarded or consumed by people. It is reinforced by Supreme Court resolutions cited with more legal implications,” a department official said.