With Kerala’s recent ban on chewable tobacco products, the anti-tobacco advocacy groups are now waiting for Maharashtra to follow suit by banning the manufacture and sale of gutka, khaini and other such products.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, which was conducted in India in 2009-2010, 31.4 per cent of Maharashtra’s total population consumes tobacco in one form or the other. Minister of food and drug administration Satej Patil said, “I’m all for a total ban on paan masala, gutka and other chewable tobacco products. I have presented the case to the state law and judiciary department for the final approval. Kerala and Madhya Pradesh managed to get the final approval from their respective state law and judiciary departments.”
On Friday, the Kerala government banned products like gutka, khaini and other products based on a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India regulation. Kerala becomes the second state after Madhya Pradesh to ban gutka and paan masala. In April, the Union ministry of health and family welfare had said that states had the jurisdiction to ban gutka and paan masala. However, in Maharashtra, the onus of implementing the ban on lies with the FDA.
Speaking about the timeframe for the ban, Mr Patil said, “I cannot comment on the time, but I’m hoping it is as soon as possible.”