Delhi bans all forms of chewable tobacco

New Delhi

The Delhi government’s Department of Food Safety issued a notification to ban all forms of chewable tobacco, including “gutkha, pan masala, khaini and zarda”, in the national capital for a period of one year.

According to the notification, unpackaged products of chewable tobacco too are covered under the ambit of the ban.

Health department officials revealed that a notification was issued by the Delhi government in September, 2012, in pursuance of a series of directions from the Supreme Court for a ban on ‘gutkha’ in the city. But since the term ‘gutkha’ was used in that  notification, tobacco retailers started selling the components of ‘gutkha’ (betel nut and raw tobacco) in separate pouches, thus defeating the purpose behind the ban.

The health department had, therefore, come up with a new proposal for banning all raw chewable tobacco products in Delhi to ensure that manufacturers do not take advantage of the rule, a senior official said.