Doctor welcomes ban on gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine in West Bengal

Datta said, " Excellent step by the Government, however, only notification is not enough, we want strict implementation of it. "

The State Government has banned gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine with effect from November 7, 2019 for a period of one year.
The Health and Family welfare department has issued notification in this regard.

The Health department of the West Bengal government in the interest of public health has issued the notification on October 25, this year under which it has prohibited manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and/or nicotine as ingredients for one year starting from November 7, 2019.

According to GATS-2 report, 20.1 per cent people use smokeless tobacco in West Bengal, including 22.8 per cent male and 17.2 per cent female.

It is to be mentioned that Rajasthan on Gandhi Jayanti this year has banned pan masala containing tobacco, nicotine, magnesium carbonate and mineral oil.

Similarly, Bihar has banned manufacture, storage, transportation and sale of 15 brands of pan masala after the National Tobacco Testing Laboratory reported these brands were containing magnesium carbonate.

Similarly, the Uttarakhand government has also banned gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine last month.