Delhi Government bans sale of all forms of Chewable Tobacco for 1 year

Delhi government has banned the manufacture, distribution, storage and sale of all forms of chewable tobacco for one year in the interest of public health.
The ban incudes all forms of chewable tobacco including scented, flavoured or mixed and sold in other forms such as gutkha, pan masala, khaini and zarda.
In this regard, Delhi Department of Food Safety has issued an official notification and it will also cover unpackaged products of chewable tobacco within the ambit of the ban. The ban will be valid for one year from the date of publication of this notification in the official gazette.
Background

• This notification was issued in pursuance of earlier September 2012 order which had banned on ‘gutkha’ in the NCT Delhi based on a series of directions from Supreme Court.
• But tobacco retailers defied the notification as the term ‘gutkha’ used in it which didn’t banned them from selling the components of ‘gutkha’ (betel nut and raw tobacco) in separate pouches.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2016