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.
