GUWAHATI: The ban on manufacture, storage, transportation, display, distribution or sale of Gutka, Pan Masala or any chewing materials etc containing tobacco and/or nicotine has been extended for 1 year more.
The Health and Family Welfare Department, Govt of Assam, has extended the prohibition order against all products containing tobacco and/or nicotine as ingredients under Regulation 2.3.4. of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 read with Section 26 of the Food Safety and Standards Acts, 2006.
For the first time, the Commissioner of Food Safety, Assam issued a notification on the 22nd November, 2019 imposing the ban, after continuous demand from Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum of Assam.
On 11th November, 2020 a delegation from the Consumers' Legal Protection Forum, led by its secretary, advocate Ajoy Hazarika, submitted a memorandum to the Health & Family Welfare Department demanding an extension of the previous prohibition order for a period of one year more which had expired on 22nd November, 2020.
Notably, Assam has an average tobacco consumption of 48.2% which is almost double the national average of 28.6 percent. 41.7% people use smokeless tobacco in some form vis-a-vis 13.3% users of smoked tobacco.