Keeping in view the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine-based chewing products like gutka and pan masala on human health, the Uttarakhand government has put a complete ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of these products.
An order to this effect was issued here by Food Safety Commissioner Nitesh Kumar Jha late on Friday evening.
Explaining reasons behind the ban, the order said, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India prohibits use of tobacco and nicotine as an ingredient in any product meant for human consumption but it has been found that gutka, pan masala and several other similar products being sold under different names continue to have a high content of them as components.
The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar banned 12 pan masala brands containing magnesium carbonate in August this year.
BCCL/Representational Image