New Delhi/Mumbai: In a major breakthrough, six states have banned gutka and other tobacco products. The anti-tobacco lobby is calling it a major victory. While the country is fighting the larger battle to ban gutka, Sarfabad in Uttar Pradesh has become the third village to go tobacco free. The Panchayat there has decided to ban gutka after several young people succumbed to critical diseases.
A villager, Sukhbir Singh, said, "There is a Rs 1,000 fine on anyone who sells gutka and a Rs 500 fine on anyone who eats it."
Almost a year since the new Food Safety law banned foods with tobacco and nicotine content, six states have banned gutka, khaini and such pan masala products.
Madhya Pradesh took the first step followed by Kerala and Bihar. Maharashtra banned both gutka and pan masala. After Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, Haryana is expected to ban gutka soon and Goa had already banned it under the public health act....
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10:00 AM, Jul 25, 2012
Mumbai: Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi and 23 others have been booked under the Tobacco Act following a surprise check in a restaurant at suburban Vile Parle, where cops stumbled upon hookah smoking, the use of which is banned in public areas, police said today. The 35-year-old actor, who is incidentally the ambassador for World Health Organisation's anti-smoking movement, denied smoking hookah but a probe will find the truth, police said....
02:33 PM, Mar 31, 2012
