Bihar, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh ban Guthka / Pan Masala on World No-Tobacco Day..
On the eve of World No-Tobacco Day (May 31, 2012) the NDA Government of Bihar has banned the sale of tobacco and nicotine-mixed gutkha and pan masala and their variants for one year. Taking a giant step in its war against tobacco products the state government has issued a notification on Wednesday afternoon. With this decision taken on the eve of 'World No-Tobacco Day', Bihar has become the third state after Madhya Pradesh and Kerala to ban these products.
On the eve of World No-Tobacco Day (May 31, 2012) the NDA Government of Bihar has banned the sale of tobacco and nicotine-mixed gutkha and pan masala and their variants for one year. Taking a giant step in its war against tobacco products the state government has issued a notification on Wednesday afternoon. With this decision taken on the eve of 'World No-Tobacco Day', Bihar has become the third state after Madhya Pradesh and Kerala to ban these products.
State health secretary cum commissioner, Sanjay Kumar said, "The manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients have been prohibited for one year from the date of issue of order." It is based on the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India regulation no 2.3.4 to prohibit the addition of tobacco or nicotine in food, which was issued on August 1, 2011. "Those found violating the ban would be slapped fine up to Rs 3 lakh or imprisonment for one year," told Kumar.
Adding further about the implementation of the ban, Kumar said, "It would be implemented by food safety officers and other designated officers. All district magistrates, superintendents of police and civil surgeons have been asked to take appropriate action to enforce the order. The designated teams will start conducting raids from Thursday."
Although the state government has imposed the ban on selling of tobacco products but the war against tobacco products in the state can't be fought successfully unless the community joins the state government and civil society groups in its efforts. Earlier too the state government has put ban over selling of Guthka / Tobacco products about a decades back, but it in turn laid to existence of black-market across the state. The banned products were sold by infiltration from neighbouring states of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
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