Sir,
The increasing consumption of guthka, pan masala and such other chewing tobacco products in J&K is a matter of deep concern. Unfortunately, even the children and young adolescents have access to these products as they are freely available and at affordable costs at every nook and corner of the State. These products thus act as a gateway to drug addiction for this vulnerable population. Besides, poor section of the society consumes it as a leisure product. The impact can be seen in the form of rising number of cancer cases, especially oral cancer in the State.
It is in this context of greater health concerns, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a notification in 2011 that clearly states “any food product should not contain tobacco and nicotine”. Therefore, Guthka, pan masala and such other chewing tobacco products falling under this category are prohibited by virtue of the above mentioned notification. 14 States including Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Mizoram, Sikkim and Uttarakhand have already banned and complied with the notification, by issuing orders and taking appropriate measures to prevent the sales, manufacture and use of these lethal products.
A fervent appeal is made to the Chief Minister, the Minister for Health and Medical Education and the Government of J&K in general to take adequate measures during the Assembly Session to ban guthka and other chewable food products containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients, to show its commitment towards greater health concerns of the citizens. This would be a milestone and progressive step towards making J&K a tobacco-free State.
Yours etc….
A. M. Mir, (IAS Retd.),
Executive Director
J&K Voluntary Health Association
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