Odisha implements zero-tolerance blanket ban on gutkha pan masala and all nicotine products from production to point of sale

In a major health intervention, the Odisha government has declared a ban on all tobacco/ nicotine-based products such as gutka, pan masala, zarda, khaini, and similar goods. This ban extends to the entire value chain of manufacturing, storage, transportation, trade, and sale of these products.

The move is in line with the orders from the Supreme Court of India and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as set in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

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What the Ban Covers?

Under Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, the notification prohibits:

• All oral tobacco products, whether chewable or smokable

• Products sold packaged or unpackaged, flavoured or scented

• Items sold as single units or bundled packets, under any brand or local name

• Any food item containing tobacco or nicotine, regardless of form

Officials clarified that the ban leaves no room for rebranding or loopholes, effectively closing the door on disguised or renamed tobacco products.

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Replacing a Decade-Old Order

This new notification overrides an earlier notification, which was issued on January 3, 2013, by the Health and Family Welfare Department. It was observed in the notification that, despite segregation, some goods with tobacco flavour were being found in the market under various names.

“The availability and consumption of products containing tobacco and nicotine pose serious health risks to the public,” the notification stated. 

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Health Risks and Public Impact

Experts have pointed to smokeless tobacco being a major cause for many instances of oral and throat cancers, in addition to many serious cases of damage to internal organs. 

Young people and children have been especially vulnerable to this due to early addiction.

According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) data, more than 42% of individuals use smokeless tobacco products, which is almost twice the national average, thus signifying the need for government intervention at the state level.

Why This Matters

Odisha's action thus heralds zero tolerance towards tobacco in food items, putting public health above commercial interests and enforcing agencies, commercial establishments, and consumers: tobacco and nicotine have no place in consumable goods.

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