The West Bengal government has renewed its ban on the manufacturing, storage, and sale of gutkha and pan masala products containing tobacco or nicotine for an additional year, effective November 7. This ban has been consistently extended annually since 2012.

"The Commissioner of Food Safety of the state is empowered under Section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to prohibit in the interest of public health, the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of any article of food in the whole of State, for a period of one year", the order reads.

Gutka & Pan Masala is to be now permanently banned in Bengal. Order Applicable from November 7th pic.twitter.com/yP3iVC3Glt

— Sudhanidhi Bandyopadhyay (@SudhanidhiB) October 27, 2024

In India, the use of smokeless tobacco, including gutkha, is a prevalent and dangerous practice that poses serious health risks, especially for oral cancer. According to Lancet, gutkha is widely used in India despite a ban by several Indian states since 2012.

Gutkha is a mixture of areca nuts, slaked lime, catechu, tobacco, added flavourings, and sweeteners.

Gutkha companies have found a way around the ban by producing pan masala, a non-tobacco product with ingredients like areca nuts, slaked lime, catechu, and seasonings. They offer tobacco in a separate packet for free, allowing users to mix their own gutkha.

This is known as the two-packet form of gutkha or twin-packet gutkha. Many users add extra tobacco for intense stimulation, increasing the risk of excessive nicotine consumption.

“The ban on gutkha in India has not succeeded in reducing the use of smokeless tobacco, as evidenced by the continued prevalence of its use in two-packet form,” the Lancet says.  

A recent population-based cancer registry in Varanasi found that 55% of cancers were related to tobacco use, emphasising the need for tobacco control programmes. An Indian survey revealed the availability of illegal smokeless tobacco products in rural and semi-urban areas, including the prevalent use of two-packet gutkha.

India is the world's third-largest producer and exporter (in tonnage) of tobacco products. However, unlike most other countries, the use of smokeless tobacco exceeds smoked tobacco use in India. Around 21·4% (199·4 million) of adults in India use smokeless tobacco, whereas 10·7% (99·5 million) use smoked tobacco products. Additionally, India has some of the lowest tobacco quit rates, with only 20% of men quitting the use of tobacco. Quit rates tend to be higher for women than men.

Also read: FACT CHECK: Is chewing smokeless tobacco a cancer risk? - First Check