Use of smokeless tobacco in the form of guthka, pan masala etc has of
late picked up in Jammu and Kashmir. Along with cigarettes, tobacco in
other form is easily accessible to all age groups including young
adolescents. The new trend of using chewing tobacco is becoming a major
problem. As per A M Mir, Executive Director, J&K Voluntary Health
and Developmental Association, an NGO involved in the advocacy for
implementation of tobacco control legislation in Jammu & Kashmir,
“There is an alarming rise in the human loss due to abundant use of
tobacco, both smoke and smokeless forms. However, the trend of using the
smokeless form of tobacco (Guthka, Khaini etc) is gaining ground and so
is the usage of overall tobacco products”. This fact can be easily
substantiated by the figures provided by the department of commercial
taxes government of Jammu and Kashmir to a social activist Saleem Malik.
According to a department reply to an RTI filed by Malik, the tax
collected for 2009-10 was 6305.57 lakh, 8584.47 lakh for 2010-2011 and
17418.65 lakh for 2011-2012. This is without the tax amount of Rs 20
crore lost by the state due to smuggled cigarettes. The brand wise
import of tobacco products and taxes collected is not maintained by the
sales tax.
Smokeless form of tobacco especially Guthka is new to Jammu & Kashmir, it is mostly consumed by the migratory labor population coming from other states like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand etc. The product is very cheap and is easily available even in the most remote villages of the state. Over, the last two decades as the substance abuse has became wide spread in state and even the boot polish is being consumed by the addicts, who cannot afford drugs at times. The products like Guthka have come as easy respite, as per Dr Abdul Majid, incharge community medicine SKIMS, Soura; during surveys they found the huge list of substances other than tobacco products used by youth after getting used to drugs like guthka which comes handy as it can be afforded by even a school going kid with their little pocket money. The guthka pack costs just a rupee or two less than an ordinary biscuit or chips packet that costs not less than Rs 5. On the basis of research and interaction with addicts, many social activists like Mir explain, Gutkha is the gateway to the world of drug addiction and substance abuse. Besides being cheap and easily available, Guthka and tobacco containing pan masalas have attractive smell and package, easily enticing men, women and children.
This smokeless form of tobacco contains deadly chemicals which are major causes of mouth as well as throat cancer. Guthka also qualifies as a food product as it is taken from the mouth unlike other tobacco products which are inhaled. However, this product contains nicotine and as per new regulations notified by The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the health ministry to handle food related issues, notified as Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. It states under rule 2.3.4 that “product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health: Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products”.
Considering the health hazards of these smokeless chewable tobacco products, 12 states in India which now includes Delhi, resorting to the provisions of FSSAI, have banned the Guthka.
These states have banned the manufacture, storage, sale, transportation and display or distribution of Guthka and pan masalas containing tobacco or nicotine whatever name they may be called by. Most of the states which banned these products were also manufactures of these products and a huge population was associated from cultivation and other processes as a source of livelihood for them. The proactive advocacy by NGOs like Voluntary Health Association of India and political will shown by the respective state governments to save millions of lives has been a commendable step to ban such products, thus helping also most vulnerable sections of society that forms the biggest chunk of consumers for this product.
Similarly, besides young population, poor and vulnerable communities are also getting attracted to type of leisure and results have started pouring into our hospitals and overall there is also high number of cancer patients due to use of various tobacco products. The example of other states is evidence enough to go for the banning the Guthka and allied products in the state. As, right now Jammu & Kashmir state is not the producer of such tobacco products and neither its larger population is the consumer of these products. Delaying the ban at earliest will create more issues and problems to the state latter on. The ban by 12 states and 1 Union Territory will impact almost 38 million Gutkha users across India. It is high time that government of Jammu & Kashmir must adopt FSSAI regulations and ban Gutkha and similar food products containing tobacco/ nicotine as ingredients to save the younger generation from falling to tobacco menace.
Smokeless form of tobacco especially Guthka is new to Jammu & Kashmir, it is mostly consumed by the migratory labor population coming from other states like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand etc. The product is very cheap and is easily available even in the most remote villages of the state. Over, the last two decades as the substance abuse has became wide spread in state and even the boot polish is being consumed by the addicts, who cannot afford drugs at times. The products like Guthka have come as easy respite, as per Dr Abdul Majid, incharge community medicine SKIMS, Soura; during surveys they found the huge list of substances other than tobacco products used by youth after getting used to drugs like guthka which comes handy as it can be afforded by even a school going kid with their little pocket money. The guthka pack costs just a rupee or two less than an ordinary biscuit or chips packet that costs not less than Rs 5. On the basis of research and interaction with addicts, many social activists like Mir explain, Gutkha is the gateway to the world of drug addiction and substance abuse. Besides being cheap and easily available, Guthka and tobacco containing pan masalas have attractive smell and package, easily enticing men, women and children.
This smokeless form of tobacco contains deadly chemicals which are major causes of mouth as well as throat cancer. Guthka also qualifies as a food product as it is taken from the mouth unlike other tobacco products which are inhaled. However, this product contains nicotine and as per new regulations notified by The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the health ministry to handle food related issues, notified as Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. It states under rule 2.3.4 that “product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health: Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products”.
Considering the health hazards of these smokeless chewable tobacco products, 12 states in India which now includes Delhi, resorting to the provisions of FSSAI, have banned the Guthka.
These states have banned the manufacture, storage, sale, transportation and display or distribution of Guthka and pan masalas containing tobacco or nicotine whatever name they may be called by. Most of the states which banned these products were also manufactures of these products and a huge population was associated from cultivation and other processes as a source of livelihood for them. The proactive advocacy by NGOs like Voluntary Health Association of India and political will shown by the respective state governments to save millions of lives has been a commendable step to ban such products, thus helping also most vulnerable sections of society that forms the biggest chunk of consumers for this product.
Similarly, besides young population, poor and vulnerable communities are also getting attracted to type of leisure and results have started pouring into our hospitals and overall there is also high number of cancer patients due to use of various tobacco products. The example of other states is evidence enough to go for the banning the Guthka and allied products in the state. As, right now Jammu & Kashmir state is not the producer of such tobacco products and neither its larger population is the consumer of these products. Delaying the ban at earliest will create more issues and problems to the state latter on. The ban by 12 states and 1 Union Territory will impact almost 38 million Gutkha users across India. It is high time that government of Jammu & Kashmir must adopt FSSAI regulations and ban Gutkha and similar food products containing tobacco/ nicotine as ingredients to save the younger generation from falling to tobacco menace.
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