Manipur government bans gutka for one year
Imphal: The Manipur government has banned the manufacture, storage, distribution, display, and sale of gutka and pan masala for one year starting October 22, 2024.
Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi in a notification states that chewing tobacco is a smokeless tobacco product that is highly addictive and can cause several harmful health effects, including dental disease, oral cancer, and heart disease.
Prohibition and Restriction have been made under regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011 for being injurious to health, the Chief Secretary states.
Further, the notice also states that ingredient means any substance, including a food additive used in the manufacture or preparation of food and present in the final product, possibly in a modified form as per Section 3(1)(y) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The notice added that the consumption of Gutkha, Pan Masala and other chewable products containing tobacco or nicotine as an ingredient and chewing tobacco products like Cheap Tobacco, Pure Tobacco, Khaini, Zarda, Scented/Flavoured Tobacco by whatever name called is unsafe.
It added that such products endanger human health and well-being ultimately causing damage to the health of consumers and hence, manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of these products are to be prohibited as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.