Tribute to Mahatma Gandhi-Father of the Nation, Administration imposes complete ban on ‘gutka’

Port Blair, Oct. 1: In a befitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi-Father of the Nation who was strongly against consumption of tobacco, the A&N Administration has imposed complete ban on manufacture, sale, storage and display of all gutka products in the Islands. The formal decision to enforce the ban was taken by the Lt. Governor, Lt Gen (Retd) Bhopinder Singh, PVSM, AVSM. The decision has been taken due to increasing cases of oral cancer caused by chewing gutka and pan masala, particularly by the younger generation in the Islands. The complete ban on the product (sale, stocking, production and distribution) shall come into effect from 1st November 2012. The ban will be implemented by the Commissioner of Food Safety, Directorate of Health Services as per Regulation 2,3,4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulation 2011, made by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Sub-Section (2) of Section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Acts, 2006 (Central Act 34 of 2006) read with section 26 thereof, which prohibits articles of food in which tobacco and nicotine are used as ingredients, as they are injurious to health. Gutka and pan masala are articles of food in which tobacco and nicotine are widely used as ingredient. As per the ban order manufacturing, storage, distribution and the sale of Gutka and Panmasala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients by whatsoever name available in the market is prohibited in the interest of public health.