Singapore bans gutka, khaini and more

Singapore has banned a wide variety of tobacco products including gutka, khaini and zarda.

The health ministry said on Monday that the decision was taken to ensure that such products do not gain a foothold or become entrenched in the city state, reports Xinhua.

If they come in, they could increase tobacco consumption, the order said.

"This is part of the ongoing efforts to protect the public against the known and potential harms of emerging tobacco products," it said.

In June, the ministry announced that the ban on emerging tobacco products would be implemented in two phases.

The first phase, starting on Tuesday, targets smokeless cigars or cigarettes, dissolvable tobacco or nicotine, any product containing nicotine or tobacco that may be used topically for application, by implant or injected.

It also bans any solution or substance which constitutes tobacco or nicotine that is intended to be used with an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapouriser.

The second phase will take effect from August 2016. The ban will include nasal snuff, oral snuff, gutkha, khaini and zarda.

The ministry said anyone who breaks the ban can be fined up to 10,000 Singapore dollars or jailed up to six months or both.

On second and subsequent conviction, the fine will double and so will the jail term.