TRICHY: Even though the state government had banned the sale of tobacco products, the food safety officials in the district could not completely control the sales due to loophole in the Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA). The shrewd move of the manufacturers to market tobacco products has made the officials sit as mute spectators.
As per the FSSA, tobacco and nicotine should not be used as ingredients in food products in any name. The Tamil Nadu government in May 2013 invoked the rule in the Act and banned the sale of tobacco products like Gutkha, Pan Masala to save people from succumbing to deadly diseases like cancer. But the sales couldn't be controlled despite frequent raids and warnings. Moreover, the manufacturers have even found a new method to escape from the grip of FSSA. For instance, the betel nuts are packed in sachets without mixing tobacco or nicotine so that they can show that they obey the state government's ban. On the other hand, the tobacco powder is also packed separately in a sachet. Tobacco lovers buy both the sachets and chew them together for kicks. "During the raids, we found some pan masala claiming to have zero percentage of tobacco and nicotine. But we also found tobacco powder sachets sold separately in shops. We came to know that they are jointly sold to customers. We will try to prove it in the court," said corporation CHO Dr Mariappan.
Insisting on total ban of tobacco, Dr Ramakrishnan, the designated officer of Food Safety Wing in Trichy, said, "Though we have found shopkeepers selling tobacco powders in separate sachets, we are unable to prove how people mix it with betel nuts for kick. Only a complete ban can put an end to this problem."
Interestingly, the one year ban too is coming to an end on May 23 this year.
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