TNI Bureau: In a major public health initiative, the Odisha government has imposed a complete ban on the manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transport, distribution and sale of gutkha and all food products containing tobacco or nicotine.

The ban was notified by the Health and Family Welfare Department, in compliance with Supreme Court directions and guidelines issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). It applies to all chewable food products, whether flavoured, scented, mixed or combined with additives.

The prohibition has been implemented under Section 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The new order replaces an earlier notification issued in 2013 and aims to remove ambiguities and ensure uniform enforcement across the state.

The government said the move is essential to protect public health and promote a tobacco-free society. Citing the International Agency for Research on Cancer under the World Health Organization, the notification noted that smokeless tobacco products such as gutkha, zarda and khaini are classified as carcinogenic to humans and are linked to cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas and kidney.

Highlighting the serious risks to children and youth, the state has appealed to citizens to strictly follow the ban and support efforts to build a healthier, tobacco-free Odisha.