Health officials seize pan masala, gutka from shops in Salem

Stern action:Health officials seize banned gutka and pan masala from a petty shop on Second Agraharam Street in Salem on Friday

Sale of food products containing tobacco, nicotine banned

With the selling of gutka, pan masala and any other food product containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients banned in the district from Friday, health officials began inspecting petty shops and seized the items that were kept for sale.

They distributed awareness pamphlets to the traders asking them not to sell the products and explained the ill affects of consumption of the products.

A team led by T. Anuradha, District Designated Officer, Food Safety Department, and Sanitary Inspectors from City Municipal Corporation inspected shops in Second Agraharam Street, Chinna Kadai Veedi, Old Bus Stand areas and other parts of the city.

They explained the provisions in the law and also the action that can be taken against them if they were found selling banned tobacco products.

A district level monitoring committee was formed on Thursday to implement the ban in the district, as traders were warned that cases would be booked against them from June 26 after initial warnings.

With consumption of tobacco, pan masala and gutka among schoolchildren increasing, headmasters and teachers will be vested with the responsibility of creating awareness among the students once the schools reopen on June 10.

The benefits of quitting tobacco and other products would be explained to the students apart from organising awareness rallies.

Officials of the education department were also told that they could inform the designated officer if the banned products were noticed being sold near school premises.