News Desk: The Maharashtra government has decided to ban the production, sale, distribution and storage of gutkha and paan masala in the state. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mr. Prithviraj Chavan.

 

In a recent Government survey, the state has witnessed a rise in the incidence of oral and other forms of cancer. It is also found that there is a significant rise in the consumption of gutkha and other tobacco products among children in the 14-16 age group. At least 60% of the respondents were found to be addicted to such products.

 

Health activists and NGOs had been pushing for the ban on the grounds that the addiction was claiming many lives every year. Earlier, Maharashtra had imposed a ban on the two products in 2002 and 2008, but the decision could not pass legal scrutiny.

 

The recent ban on gutkha and paan masala will result in revenue loss of 100 crore rupees per annum for the state exchequer, but the decision has been taken in larger interest of public health. Offenders can face jail time of six months to three years.

 

Maharashtra has joined a handful of states, among them Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, to ban gutkha, blamed for oral diseases such as cancer.