Monitoring committee set up to enforce ban on gutka

Gearing up to implement the State government’s ban on gutka, pan masala, and tobacco, the district administration has constituted a separate monitoring committee here.

Headed by Collector T. Munusamy, the committee would include the Superintendent of Police, District Revenue Officer, District Social Welfare Officer, Chief Education Officer, Deputy Director (Health), Excise Officer, and the Regional Transport Officer.

The committee is empowered to conduct surprise raids and checks and curb movement of gutka from other districts at district checkpoints.

Convening a consultative meeting here at the collectorate recently, Collector T. Munusamy said that vigilance had to be in place to monitor sales, hoarding or illegal movement of consumables containing ghutka, pan, and tobacco, in any form.

The committee shall have such consumables seized and destroyed and bring to book the violators under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Addressing the consultations, Mr. Munusamy said the World Health Organisation’s statistics placed the number of tobacco-related deaths at 2.5 million to 3 million annually.

In India, 53.5 percent of the population used gutka and tobacco. This included 66.2 per cent men and 40 per cent women. Over 10 lakh people die of tobacco-induced cancer in the country, Mr. Munusamy said.

In a bid to create awareness among the youth, special focus would be on schools and colleges by way of awareness rallies on the ills of tobacco. The ban has been in implementation in the State since May 23, this year.

Asiya Mariam, District Revenue Officer; and V. Manikandan, Revenue Divisional Officer; were present.