Anti-Smoking Activists Ask for a Ban in Maharashtra

Will the state government ban gutka-acknowledged as the cause for the epidemic of oral cancer across the country? This is the question anti-tobacco activists are asking after Madhya Pradesh and, more recently, Kerala banned gutka. Food and drug administration minister Satej Patil said, "We are working towards the ban. Even Maharashtra will soon have a ban on gutka and other products." He added that Madhya Pradesh and Kerala had managed to implement the ban after getting a final approval from the judiciary. "We do not want any case in the court challenging the ban later. So we are trying to do a thorough job, which is taking time," he said. Recently, the Madhya Pradesh government issued an order from the Food and Drugs Association (FDA), directing all district collectors and FDA officers to implement a ban on gutka. Earlier this week, the government of Kerala also passed a similar order. These directives came after the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) was passed last year and stated that no product should contain any substance which may be injurious to health. "Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products," the regulation 2.4.3 had stated. The states could now ban gutka using this regulation coupled with a Supreme Court ruling that stated, "since pan masala, gutka or supari are eaten for taste and nourishment, they are all food". Anti-tobacco activists cite several reasons for banning gutka. A recent report of the Union ministry of health states that 28 out of the 3,095 chemical components in chewing tobacco products (including gutka) are proven carcinogens. The most abundant group of carcinogens is the tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines. Over 90% of oral cancer in India is directly associated with tobacco use. Moreover, it is estimated that India spends approximately Rs 300 billion annually in both public and private on treatment of tobacco-related illness. There is, however, still no ban on these products in Maharashtra. While the government and the FDA still claim to be working on getting the ban, activists say that it is important to get the ban as soon as possible. Amal Pusp, director of National Tobacco Control Programme, said states can delay the banning process but can't avoid it. "We have so far not pushed for the ban because we have sent a reference to the law ministry about the FSSA Act. As soon as we get a reply, we will get serious about the ban," he said during a recent visit to the city. Devika Chaddha, director of the Salaam Bombay Foundation, which works against tobacco use among children, said it is important to not leave any loopholes. "The government and FDA are working towards getting a ban. It is taking time only because they do not want any loopholes with which the ban can be circumvented."