Ban on gutka, smokeless tobacco products soon

New Delhi: After a ban on plastic packaging for tobacco products, the Supreme Court is now considering a total ban on gutka and other smokeless tobacco products.

Srinath Reddy, PHFI said, "Tobacco is the number one killer. It kills more than 1 million Indians every year. If you are considering this as a food product, clearly its a very hazardous food product. So the PAFA act comes into play."

Meera Aghi, activist said, "We want the ban to come. We are fed up with the cases suffering from smokeless tobacco use."

Each pack of tobacco products like gutka and khaini contain atleast 3095 different chemicals.

The national institute of health and family welfare has submitted a report that says - each pack of tobacco products like gutka and khaini contain atleast 3095 different chemicals.

About 28 of them are well proven carcinogens - known to cause cancer of food pipe, throat, pancreas, stomach, kidney and lung.

Tobacco chewing is the main reason India is the world capital for oral cancer. In fact these gutka products at your local shops have also been found to contain heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium and copper.

Even worse, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey - at least 3 out of 4 people consume smokeless tobacco products and 1 in 4 of them is addicted to it.

Srinath Reddy added, "We know that 7 - 13 per cent of children in the age group 10-15 are using it.

It's not just this decision. A final hearing on the long-delayed pictorial warnings on tobacco packs is also expected on April 14.

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