Gujarat bans gutka and pan masala completely from September 11

The ban as per provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 on manufacturing, sale, storage and distribution of gutka and pan masala will come into effect from September 11, and initially shall be in place for one year, Gujarat's Commissioner of Food Safety Dr H G Koshia said.

"It has been done in public interest," he said.

Any violation of ban on food articles containing nicotine and tobacco as ingredients, would attract atleast six months of imprisonment and a fine upto Rs 5 lakh, Koshia said.

However, the prohibition shall not be applicable in respect of 100 per cent export oriented units.

Citing research at Tata Memorial Hospital, the notification said it was observed that consumption of gutka and pan masala causes carcinogenic and co-carcinogenic effects, leading to very high risk of oral cancer.

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey of India 2009-10 revealed that 35 per cent adults use tobacco in some or the other form, out of which 21 per cent were found to be consuming smokeless tobacco.

The Maharashtra government had recently imposed a comprehensive ban on gutka and pan masala. Gutka is banned in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, while the Rajasthan government banned it last month.