New Delhi,The Food Safety & Standards
Authority of India on 9th October issued a direction to the
Commissioners of Food Safety/ Officers in-charge of Food Safety of all State
& UT`S for effective implementation of the ban on manufacture, sale and
distribution of Gutkha and Pan Masala(with tobacco and nicotine).
The Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on
sales) Regulations, 2.3.4, prohibits the use of tobacco and
nicotine as ingredients in any food products and
inter-alia bans sale of all food products where tobacco is present as
ingredient such as Gutkha and Pan Masala(with tobacco and nicotine)..
Hon`ble Supreme Court of India in Central Areca-nut Marketing
Corporation & Others Vs Union of India (Transfer Case (C) 1 of 2010) on 23rd October
2016, had directed the concerned statutory authorities in the
State/UT`s for total compliance of the ban imposed by FSSAI Regulations on the
manufacturing and sale of Gutkha and Pan Masala with tobacco
and/or nicotine.
The FSSAI recent order of 9th October, laying emphasis on
compliance with the ban on gutkha and pan masala(with tobacco and nicotine),
imposed by FSSAI Regulation and supported by the Supreme Court order is welcome
move from the FSSAI, as it was seen in the past that only State
Governments/UT`s were issuing necessary orders for banning manufacturing and
sale of Gutkha and Pan Masala with tobacco and/or nicotine.
The result of the
Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in the year 2016-17 between the age group
of 15 years and above reveals, that: 29.6% of men, 12.8% of women and
21.4% of all adults currently use smokeless tobacco. However due to initiative
taken by the Government like ban on certain forms of smokeless tobacco
products, such as gutkha, pan masala(with tobacco & nicotine), the number
of tobacco users has reduced by about 81 lakh.
Tobacco use is the foremost preventable cause of death and
disease globally as well as in India. The consequent burden of mortality
and morbidity due to consumption of smokeless tobacco is very high in
India. Tobacco causes almost 12 lakhs death in a year in India. Available
evidence suggests that India shares the maximum burden of oral cancer in the
World.
Tata Memorial Hospital, Professor and Cancer Surgeon Dr. Pankaj
Chaturvedi, As an impact of the chewing tobacco
products (Gutka and Pan Masala) ban, the Euromonitor International report shows
tremendous decline in overall smokeless volume. It is in 2011 : 2% ;
2012: 26% ; 2013: 80% . It
is predicted that the smokeless volume would have declined in 2016 to 30%
and 2018 to 25% in consumption.
Dr.Pankaj Said
Implemention was the strength of the law, Tobacco use is the foremost
preventable cause of death and disease globally as well as in india.
Tobacco causes almost 10 Lakhs death every year in India.
According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016-17 29.6% of Men, 12.8%of women
and 21.4 % of all adults currently use smokeless tobacco products in india.
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