Ranchi, 18 February (IANS). The Jharkhand government has imposed a complete ban on the production, distribution, sale and storage of gutkha and nicotine and tobacco -rich paan masala in the state. The Health Department has issued a notification related notifications. This ban will be effective for up to the next one year from the date of issuance of notification.
It has been reported that after reviewing the situation, the period of the ban will be extended further. In Jharkhand, 11 brands of gutkha and paan masala were banned in the year 2020, which was effective till June 2023. The ban was neutralized for about one and a half years.
This time, along with gutkha, all types of paan masalas containing nicotine and tobacco are banned.
According to the notification issued by the signature of Additional Chief Secretary of Health Department and State Food Safety Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh, “This ban is the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 Section 30 (2) (A) (A) and Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011 Regulation is imposed under Regulation 2, 3 and 4. The government has directed the concerned department to release general information about this ban in communication medium. Strict action will be taken if any shop is found to be sold in any shop with gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine.
The Health Minister has said that all the civil surgeons of the state and the competent officials concerned are being instructed to ensure strict compliance of the sanctions being implemented by the government.
Health Minister Irfan Ansari had already said that pan masala will be banned keeping in mind the health and interests of the younger generation of the state. During the program organized on the occasion of Cancer Day, he had expressed concern over the increasing number of oral cancer patients in the state, saying that about 70 people are suffering from a population of one lakh in the state. Of these, 40-45 patients are suffering from oral cancer and the main reason is tobacco and gutkha.
-IANS
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