West Bengal Govt ban Gutkha, pan masala for a year with effect from November 7

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KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has announced a one-year ban on the manufacture and sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco.

The ban will take effect on November 7, 2021.

The decision was taken with the people's health in mind, according to a notification issued by West Bengal's health department.

It stated that under Section 30 of the food safety and standards act, 2006, the commissioner of food safety has the authority to impose such a ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, or sale of any article of food throughout the state for a period of one year.

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The notification read: "As per regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011 made by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, in the exercise of powers conferred by clause (i) of sub-section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Central Act 34 of 2006) read with section 26 thereof, prohibits sale of articles of food in which tobacco and/or nicotine are used as ingredients, as they may be injurious to health."

Tobacco and nicotine are widely used as ingredients in gutkha and pan masala, it stated.