On September 11, Gujarat became the 11th Indian state to impose a
blanket ban on production, distribution, storage and sale of
cancer-causing gutka, a chewable crushed mixture of betel nut, tobacco,
catechu, paraffin, slaked lime and sweet or savory flavorings.But
addicts are laughing in their sleeves in which many are now hiding the
featherweight sachets of the heady concoction reclassified as a
foodstuff by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India,
prohibiting the use of tobacco and nicotine as loose ingredients in any
food product.
After all, the devil-may-care users are fully aware that, like liquor prohibition in the land of Mahatma Gandhi, the latest proscription will also remain only on paper in the state accounting for sales totaling Rs2.5 billion. The slapping of the strict one-year ban — violators face a six-month imprisonment and a Rs 500,000 fine — only a couple of months ahead of the assembly polls shows that the stringent measure has been taken only to woo middle-class women who hate the annoying and harmful chewing habit of their family members.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been making passionate appeals to people to support the awareness campaign and convert it into a mass movement.
According to Dr Shilin Shukla of the prestigious Gujarat Cancer Research Institute, 17 per cent women are addicted to gutka and other forms of tobacco in the state while the number of men is 60 per cent.
Ahmedabad is said to be the capital of oral cancers caused by tobacco consumption in India which boasts of 275 million junkies. The country’s fifth most populous city has a staggering 55 per cent prevalence of tobacco-related cancers (TRC) compared to the Indian average of 40 per cent. The highly unorganised Rs10 billion gutka industry in Gujarat has a 10 per cent share in the Rs100-billion national turnover. Brands like RMD, formerly known as Manikchand, and Vimal, even have gutka-making plants in the state.
Indeed, in order to prove that the state government is serious about enforcing the new legislation, as many as 3,953 raids were carried out across all the 26 districts on the first day itself and 67,500 pouches of gutka worth Rs250,000 were seized.
However, the forced ban is unlikely to be effective in preventing youths from falling into the ‘tobacco trap’, especially at a tender age. Addicts say they will buy the gutka ingredients separately and mix themselves apart from finding alternative mixtures to satisfy their chewing urge.
Again, like the banned bubbly, the cheap gutka packets will be available for asking at, of course, enhanced rates. Also, unfortunately, the stimulating concoction enjoys greater social acceptability than cigarette or alcohol.
It will also not be surprising if, as has happened in some states, the manufacturers and distributors drag the Modi regime to a legal court.
Tobacco kills nearly one million people every year but then habits die hard.
After all, the devil-may-care users are fully aware that, like liquor prohibition in the land of Mahatma Gandhi, the latest proscription will also remain only on paper in the state accounting for sales totaling Rs2.5 billion. The slapping of the strict one-year ban — violators face a six-month imprisonment and a Rs 500,000 fine — only a couple of months ahead of the assembly polls shows that the stringent measure has been taken only to woo middle-class women who hate the annoying and harmful chewing habit of their family members.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been making passionate appeals to people to support the awareness campaign and convert it into a mass movement.
According to Dr Shilin Shukla of the prestigious Gujarat Cancer Research Institute, 17 per cent women are addicted to gutka and other forms of tobacco in the state while the number of men is 60 per cent.
Ahmedabad is said to be the capital of oral cancers caused by tobacco consumption in India which boasts of 275 million junkies. The country’s fifth most populous city has a staggering 55 per cent prevalence of tobacco-related cancers (TRC) compared to the Indian average of 40 per cent. The highly unorganised Rs10 billion gutka industry in Gujarat has a 10 per cent share in the Rs100-billion national turnover. Brands like RMD, formerly known as Manikchand, and Vimal, even have gutka-making plants in the state.
Indeed, in order to prove that the state government is serious about enforcing the new legislation, as many as 3,953 raids were carried out across all the 26 districts on the first day itself and 67,500 pouches of gutka worth Rs250,000 were seized.
However, the forced ban is unlikely to be effective in preventing youths from falling into the ‘tobacco trap’, especially at a tender age. Addicts say they will buy the gutka ingredients separately and mix themselves apart from finding alternative mixtures to satisfy their chewing urge.
Again, like the banned bubbly, the cheap gutka packets will be available for asking at, of course, enhanced rates. Also, unfortunately, the stimulating concoction enjoys greater social acceptability than cigarette or alcohol.
It will also not be surprising if, as has happened in some states, the manufacturers and distributors drag the Modi regime to a legal court.
Tobacco kills nearly one million people every year but then habits die hard.
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