Mamata government extends ban on pan masala and gutka

KOLKATA: That gutka and pan masala are harmful to the health of citizens is an open fact. Many state governments have campaigns running against their usage. The central government too has sanctioned informative advertisements to be played in movie theatres before a movie starts to educate people that consumption of gutka and pan masala causes cancer. Instead of placing informative advertisements and videos in movie theatres, the government in West Bengal has gone ahead and extended the ban on these products.

The ban on gutka and pan masala across West Bengal has been extended for another year by Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, starting from November 7 this year.

The Health and Family Welfare Department of the state government had announced the decision through a notification dated October 25.

As per sources, the new notification had said, "The manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients, by whatever name available in the market, is hereby prohibited for a period of one year".

The notification also states that "the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations 2011 prohibits the sale of food items that have tobacco or nicotine as ingredients."

April 2013 was the first time when gutka was banned in West Bengal by Mamata Banerjee's government.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien appreciated the move and tweeted in favour of it. "Since 2013, the West Bengal government has put a total ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutka and pan masala in the State. Now, it has been extended for another year. Good on us," the tweet read.