The Andhra Pradesh government on January 9 banned manufacture, storage, sale, transport and distribution of gutkha, paan masala and similar chewable products that contain tobacco and nicotine. The ban has come into force with immediate effect. With this, Andhra Pradesh becomes the 17th state in India to ban tobacco products (see box).
| Official orders State |
Banned on |
| Bihar |
May 30, 2012 |
| Chhattisgarh |
July 24, 2012 |
| Delhi |
September 11, 2012 |
| Goa |
October 2, 2005 |
| Gujarat |
September 11, 2012 |
| Himachal Pradesh |
July 13, 2012 |
| Haryana |
August 15, 2012 |
| Jharkhand |
July 24, 2012 |
| Kerala |
May 25, 2012 |
| Madhya Pradesh |
April 1, 2012 |
| Maharashtra |
July 20, 2012 |
| Rajasthan |
July 18, 2012 |
| Punjab |
August 26, 2012 |
| Mizoram |
September, 2012 |
| Uttarakhand |
January 1, 2013 |
| Odisha |
January 1, 2013 |
| Andhra Pradesh |
January 9, 2013 |
Civil society organisations and anti-tobacco activists have long been demanding ban on these products because they are highly addictive and can cause cancer. There are 3,095 chemical components in chewing tobacco products, and 28 of them have been proved carcinogenic. Over 90 per cent of oral cancer is directly associated with tobacco use. India has the highest prevalence of oral cancer with 75,000 to 80,000 new cases reported every year. The gutkha and paan masala industry in the country is huge and could be pegged at anywhere between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 crore.
The ban is under the Food Safety & Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations of 2011 and the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006. Under the Act, the food safety commissioner has the power to prohibit, in the interest of public health, production, sale and distribution of any food item all over the state or in certain regions of the state for a period not exceeding one year. According to this Act, tobacco and nicotine should not be used in any food product. The ban in Andhra Pradesh is based on the recommendations by the food safety commissioner.
Andhra Pradesh is the highest producer of tobacco in the country. In 2011-12, the state grew tobacco in 132,000 hectares and produced 207,000 tonnes. Even while many other states banned gutkha and paan masala, Andhra Pradesh was dragging its feet in taking stern action.
The government has asked the food safety commissioner, departments of health, police, vigilance & enforcement, commercial taxes, transport, labour, municipal administration and the panchayati raj to take immediate steps to ensure enforcement of the ban. The departments of information and public relations and consumer affairs have been asked to widely publicise the ban and create consumer awareness on the ill effects of gutka and paan masala.
WHO global report: mortality attributable to tobacco
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