The Manipur government has issued a notification prohibiting the manufacture, storage, distribution, and sale of food products containing tobacco or nicotine, such as gutkha, pan masala, khaini, and zarda, for a period of one year. This move, under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, is aimed at safeguarding public health.
The prohibition is based on the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, which restrict the use of harmful substances in food products. The Manipur Food Safety Commissioner invoked these regulations to prevent the sale of products that pose health risks, particularly to consumers of chewable tobacco.
This decision follows a directive from the Supreme Court of India, which had earlier noted that manufacturers were bypassing bans by selling pan masala and tobacco separately, enabling consumers to mix the two. The court had called on states and union territories to enforce the ban strictly.
In the notification, the Commissioner of Food Safety, Manipur, emphasized the need to prohibit all products containing tobacco or nicotine, packaged or un-packaged, sold separately or together, for one year across the state. This is part of a larger effort to ensure public health safety and curtail the harmful impact of such products.
The ban, which is effective immediately, applies to all forms of chewable tobacco products, regardless of how they are marketed, in line with national regulations aimed at reducing tobacco consumption.