Mumbai : The Foods and Drugs Administration (FDA), Maharashtra, is mulling on lifting the ban on the sale of flavoured or scented areca nut, more popular as ‘pan masala’.
On July 17, the FDA issued a circular stating that it is likely to lift the ban on such products. FDA Commissioner Dr. Pallavi Darade said hearing on the issue is still going on by a single-member committee which was formed last year and a decision on the ban will come within 25 days.
Maharashtra was the first state to ban ‘Gutka’ and ‘pan masala’ in July 2012. It was challenged by the ‘Gutka’ industry in Bombay High Court but did not get any relief. “This ban on pan masala was brought into force because of the special power given by the Food Safety Act to the food commissioner to ban a harmful substance for a maximum period of one year,” a senior officer of FDA said.
Doctors said it causes an epidemic proportion of fatal diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, and cancers. Mouth cancer is the commonest cancer in men due to the rampant ‘supari’ chewing habit.
“The World Health Organization report and several studies in India have proven that pan masala causes serious health hazards including mouth and throat cancer. Moreover, since the last five years, all research material are submitted to the FDA several times and if they lift the ban than the state will never become tobacco free,” said Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi of Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH).
As per Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2010, 27.6% of Maharashtra’s adult population was chewing tobacco (zarda, khaini, mava, kharra, masheri, gudakhu, paan, gutka or pan masala). In terms of numbers, nearly two crore people were using smokeless tobacco. Most consumers use smokeless tobacco along with supari (betel or areca nut).
On July 1, 2016, public health institutions had petitioned the CM to ban flavoured chewing ‘supari’ permanently and enforce the ban strictly. “We sincerely urge you to continue the ban on flavoured chewing tobacco and flavoured ‘supari’ (pan masala) permanently to save our future generation. Currently, the ban is applicable for only one year and it has to be renewed annually,” said Dr. Kailash Sharma, Director (Academics), TMH.
Several oncologists from different districts named Maharashtra Cancer Warriors, Deans of Dental College has also written to the Chief Minister, the FDA minister and the FDA commissioner for a permanent ban.
Ashok Dhoble, Secretary of Indian Dental Association, said, “The epidemic of mouth cancer cannot be curtailed without a comprehensive prohibition on selling of these lethal products freely as packaged mouth fresheners. We sincerely request to continue the ban.”
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