GUWAHATI, July 9: Amar Gohain (name changed) continues to enjoy his regular dose of gutkha. The supply is done by a friendly shopkeeper in his neighbourhood.
Strange, is it not? Well, the State Government had banned gutkha and other forms of smokeless tobacco on March 8 this year with immediate effect.
Now, gutkha, as such, is not available in the markets of the State, but practically, a consumer is enjoying his daily dose of gutkha in the forms of pan masala and zarda which are separately available in the markets of the State.
Some tobacco companies are making mockery of the government’s directives and have started packaging and marketing their products separately as the tobacco–less pan masala variety of their popular brands like Sikhar Pan Masala, Sikhar Zarda (tobacco), Rajanigandha (pan masala) and Tusli (zarda).
Ironically, the law–enforcing agencies are saying that the order to ban gutkha was issued under the clauses of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, but the Act only allows a ban of gutkha and not on non–smoking tobacco products like zarda.
Taking advantage of the Act’s loopholes, gutkha companies are continuing their business in the State and selling their popular brands by making some adjustments.
The Commissioner of Food Safety, Assam, Marmee Hagjer Barman, on March 8 last, had prohibited selling of gutkha by whatever name and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients by whatsoever name it is available in the market under Clause (a) of Sub–Section 2 of Section 30 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 in the interest of public health.
Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction of Sales) Regulations, 2011 made by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India prohibits articles of food in which tobacco and nicotine are used as ingredients, as they are injurious to health.
State Nodal Officer of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) Dr Arundhati Deka told The Sentinel that the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 had some serious loopholes due to which the law–enforcing agencies were finding it difficult to eradicate health hazards arising out of gutkha consumption.
“There are some technical problems in the State Government’s March 8 order. After the order has been passed, gutkha packets which contain both pan masala and zarda in the same pack vanished from the market, but practically they remained in the market, as the companies introduced separate packs of pan masala and zarda. The Public Health Engineering (PHE) technicians, after testing the present samples of pan masala available in the market, found tobacco in it. As the Act does not have any provisions to ban zarda available in the market, the end result remained the same and gutkha can be easily found in the market,” Dr Deka explained.
Dr Deka also informed this reporter that in the recent review meeting of the NTCP, they had suggested that adequate pressure should be generated on the government to amend the Food Safety Act. She also said that the government might soon make some amendments into the Act to help eradicate health hazards arising out of gutkha consumption.
According to a survey, 3.20 lakh packets of tobacco products, including cigarettes and gutkha, are sold every day in the State. Assam earns close to Rs 7.98 crore as tax from sale of tobacco products in the State.
Is this tax important or the health of the younger generation? Let the State government decide.
Strange, is it not? Well, the State Government had banned gutkha and other forms of smokeless tobacco on March 8 this year with immediate effect.
Now, gutkha, as such, is not available in the markets of the State, but practically, a consumer is enjoying his daily dose of gutkha in the forms of pan masala and zarda which are separately available in the markets of the State.
Some tobacco companies are making mockery of the government’s directives and have started packaging and marketing their products separately as the tobacco–less pan masala variety of their popular brands like Sikhar Pan Masala, Sikhar Zarda (tobacco), Rajanigandha (pan masala) and Tusli (zarda).
Ironically, the law–enforcing agencies are saying that the order to ban gutkha was issued under the clauses of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, but the Act only allows a ban of gutkha and not on non–smoking tobacco products like zarda.
Taking advantage of the Act’s loopholes, gutkha companies are continuing their business in the State and selling their popular brands by making some adjustments.
The Commissioner of Food Safety, Assam, Marmee Hagjer Barman, on March 8 last, had prohibited selling of gutkha by whatever name and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients by whatsoever name it is available in the market under Clause (a) of Sub–Section 2 of Section 30 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 in the interest of public health.
Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction of Sales) Regulations, 2011 made by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India prohibits articles of food in which tobacco and nicotine are used as ingredients, as they are injurious to health.
State Nodal Officer of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) Dr Arundhati Deka told The Sentinel that the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 had some serious loopholes due to which the law–enforcing agencies were finding it difficult to eradicate health hazards arising out of gutkha consumption.
“There are some technical problems in the State Government’s March 8 order. After the order has been passed, gutkha packets which contain both pan masala and zarda in the same pack vanished from the market, but practically they remained in the market, as the companies introduced separate packs of pan masala and zarda. The Public Health Engineering (PHE) technicians, after testing the present samples of pan masala available in the market, found tobacco in it. As the Act does not have any provisions to ban zarda available in the market, the end result remained the same and gutkha can be easily found in the market,” Dr Deka explained.
Dr Deka also informed this reporter that in the recent review meeting of the NTCP, they had suggested that adequate pressure should be generated on the government to amend the Food Safety Act. She also said that the government might soon make some amendments into the Act to help eradicate health hazards arising out of gutkha consumption.
According to a survey, 3.20 lakh packets of tobacco products, including cigarettes and gutkha, are sold every day in the State. Assam earns close to Rs 7.98 crore as tax from sale of tobacco products in the State.
Is this tax important or the health of the younger generation? Let the State government decide.
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