BANGALORE: A week after the Karnataka government banned the sale and consumption of gutka, the tobacco product is openly available in Bangalore and rest of Karnataka.
A reality check by TOI on Thursday indicates that the implementation of gutka ban is more challenging than initially thought. The move is hobbled by lack of awareness about the ban and related guidelines. Many shop owners said they haven't received any directive on the ban and what it means. Records state that the government issued gutka ban guidelines on June 1, but district administrations like Dharwad claimed they're yet to receive it. Effective implementation of the ban is important as Karnataka has to file a compliance report before the Supreme Court by June 23.
Health and family welfare principal secretary M Madan Gopal had a different take. The officer told TOI he couldn't find gutka in several areas of Bangalore he visited to see if the ban had been enforced. "If shops are found selling gutka, food safety officers will immediately raid them, seize the stock, and revoke his trading licence," he said.
The health and family welfare department has decided to seek the help of police force to implement the ban. Gopal said district surveillance officers had been redeployed as district designated officers to supervise ban enforcement.
A reality check by TOI on Thursday indicates that the implementation of gutka ban is more challenging than initially thought. The move is hobbled by lack of awareness about the ban and related guidelines. Many shop owners said they haven't received any directive on the ban and what it means. Records state that the government issued gutka ban guidelines on June 1, but district administrations like Dharwad claimed they're yet to receive it. Effective implementation of the ban is important as Karnataka has to file a compliance report before the Supreme Court by June 23.
Health and family welfare principal secretary M Madan Gopal had a different take. The officer told TOI he couldn't find gutka in several areas of Bangalore he visited to see if the ban had been enforced. "If shops are found selling gutka, food safety officers will immediately raid them, seize the stock, and revoke his trading licence," he said.
The health and family welfare department has decided to seek the help of police force to implement the ban. Gopal said district surveillance officers had been redeployed as district designated officers to supervise ban enforcement.
Business as usual as shops flout ban
The Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, prescribes a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh if anyone is found manufacturing, selling, storing or distributing products "with an adulterant that is injurious to health". If the adulterant is not injurious to health, the penalty is Rs 2 lakh. If a buyer dies after consuming the tobacco product, then the seller and/or manufacturer could face a jail term of seven years or life term.
A health expert associated with the Tobacco-Free Karnataka campaign suggested a three-pronged formula to effectively implement the ban: "Raid manufacturing companies and choke the supply route; district administrations must keep hawk's eye on retail shops; and hold de-addiction camps and awareness programmes so that gutka consumers don't switch to cigarettes and beedis."
KR Market
Shop owners in and around KR Market expressed their anger over the ban. "Gutka sales are as profitable as cigarette sales for small shop-owners like us. The government should have asked gutka manufacturing companies to ensure no harmful materials are used in it. A blanket ban will harm many lives dependent on this," said Akram Khan, a shop owner. Many others supported him and said they will continue sales till existing stocks get over. Many shops displayed rows of gutka sachets of different brands.
Basavanagudi
Afew metres from the Government PU College near Tagore Circle, a corner shop located was bustling with customers. When asked about gutka sachets, the shop owner, a senior citizen, put her hands below a table nearby and took out two packets of different brands. She had no clue about the ban. Neither did customers who buy these sachets from her. A few metres ahead, towards Gandhi Bazaar Main Road, there was another shop where rows of gutka sachets were hanging near the door. When asked about the ban, the shop owner said he was aware of it but said he hasn't received orders to stop selling these products. "I know the sale will not be allowed in the near future. But as of now, no authority has issued orders to shop owners about this. The state government should clearly inform the shop owners from when the sale should be stopped," he added.
Shivajinagar
Charging premium for gutka sachets was common in many shops here. Shop owners were aware that the product will soon be off the market and hence wanted to make the most of the available stock. A gutka packet which usually cost Rs 4 was priced at Rs 10. "We're aware of the ban. But government has no directive as to when the shops should stop selling gutka. We want to clear the stock. And when there is demand, the price will automatically go up," said a shop owner on Church Street.
Koramangala
In many areas here, the sale was restricted to inner lanes and owners of shops on the main roads said they were not selling gutka. Ramachandra K, a regular consumer, said he had no problem getting packets through the day. "If you pay some extra money to the shop owner, you will get any brand of gutka without any difficulty," he added. A shop owner said he found more users of cigarettes than gutka products and if the government had to ban, it should be cigarettes first. "From the shop-owner's point of view, the government should have consulted all stakeholders before going ahead with ban. Even after the ban is implemented, there are many ways for both customers and sellers to get on with business," he said. A nearby shop owner added he sells as many as 300 packets of gutka every day and has six brands on sale.
Rajajinagar
Shops in Rajajinagar didn't display gutka packets openly. However, when customers asked for it, show owners had no qualms in selling them. "A police official came to my store on Wednesday and asked me to stop selling gutka packets. I read about the ban in newspapers but my contention is that there's no clarity on the whole issue. The debate on the ban continues till date. What if the government revokes the ban in future?" said Raman Lal, a shopowner. He said the demand for gutka packets continues till late night as cab drivers of tech companies come to buy them.
Times View
A week after the state government banned sale of gutka, it's obviously not followed it up with action on the ground. Gutka is freely available across the state, and traders are oblivious to the fact that they are selling a banned product. It also means that supply is continuing smoothly. Though the government claims the guidelines are clear, officials implementing the ban are yet to receive them. Clearly, there's a communication gap. If the government is serious about complying with the Supreme Court order, officials should be out on the streets, implementing the ban.
The Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, prescribes a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh if anyone is found manufacturing, selling, storing or distributing products "with an adulterant that is injurious to health". If the adulterant is not injurious to health, the penalty is Rs 2 lakh. If a buyer dies after consuming the tobacco product, then the seller and/or manufacturer could face a jail term of seven years or life term.
A health expert associated with the Tobacco-Free Karnataka campaign suggested a three-pronged formula to effectively implement the ban: "Raid manufacturing companies and choke the supply route; district administrations must keep hawk's eye on retail shops; and hold de-addiction camps and awareness programmes so that gutka consumers don't switch to cigarettes and beedis."
KR Market
Shop owners in and around KR Market expressed their anger over the ban. "Gutka sales are as profitable as cigarette sales for small shop-owners like us. The government should have asked gutka manufacturing companies to ensure no harmful materials are used in it. A blanket ban will harm many lives dependent on this," said Akram Khan, a shop owner. Many others supported him and said they will continue sales till existing stocks get over. Many shops displayed rows of gutka sachets of different brands.
Basavanagudi
Afew metres from the Government PU College near Tagore Circle, a corner shop located was bustling with customers. When asked about gutka sachets, the shop owner, a senior citizen, put her hands below a table nearby and took out two packets of different brands. She had no clue about the ban. Neither did customers who buy these sachets from her. A few metres ahead, towards Gandhi Bazaar Main Road, there was another shop where rows of gutka sachets were hanging near the door. When asked about the ban, the shop owner said he was aware of it but said he hasn't received orders to stop selling these products. "I know the sale will not be allowed in the near future. But as of now, no authority has issued orders to shop owners about this. The state government should clearly inform the shop owners from when the sale should be stopped," he added.
Shivajinagar
Charging premium for gutka sachets was common in many shops here. Shop owners were aware that the product will soon be off the market and hence wanted to make the most of the available stock. A gutka packet which usually cost Rs 4 was priced at Rs 10. "We're aware of the ban. But government has no directive as to when the shops should stop selling gutka. We want to clear the stock. And when there is demand, the price will automatically go up," said a shop owner on Church Street.
Koramangala
In many areas here, the sale was restricted to inner lanes and owners of shops on the main roads said they were not selling gutka. Ramachandra K, a regular consumer, said he had no problem getting packets through the day. "If you pay some extra money to the shop owner, you will get any brand of gutka without any difficulty," he added. A shop owner said he found more users of cigarettes than gutka products and if the government had to ban, it should be cigarettes first. "From the shop-owner's point of view, the government should have consulted all stakeholders before going ahead with ban. Even after the ban is implemented, there are many ways for both customers and sellers to get on with business," he said. A nearby shop owner added he sells as many as 300 packets of gutka every day and has six brands on sale.
Rajajinagar
Shops in Rajajinagar didn't display gutka packets openly. However, when customers asked for it, show owners had no qualms in selling them. "A police official came to my store on Wednesday and asked me to stop selling gutka packets. I read about the ban in newspapers but my contention is that there's no clarity on the whole issue. The debate on the ban continues till date. What if the government revokes the ban in future?" said Raman Lal, a shopowner. He said the demand for gutka packets continues till late night as cab drivers of tech companies come to buy them.
Times View
A week after the state government banned sale of gutka, it's obviously not followed it up with action on the ground. Gutka is freely available across the state, and traders are oblivious to the fact that they are selling a banned product. It also means that supply is continuing smoothly. Though the government claims the guidelines are clear, officials implementing the ban are yet to receive them. Clearly, there's a communication gap. If the government is serious about complying with the Supreme Court order, officials should be out on the streets, implementing the ban.
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