Over the years, the country has seen a majority of people repeatedly committing mistakes by spitting paan, especially in public places. Paan is a blend of tobacco, nuts and spices and is wrapped in a leaf.
On the contrary, other people feel disgusted while walking on the pavements which are being stained with red paan remains.
Well, many are unaware of the problem that spitting paan is unhygienic as it leaves unsightly staining on pavements. In India alone, the total number of deaths caused by tobacco is expected to touch of 1.5 million by the year 2020, up from 1.3 million deaths per year in 2017.
Taking public’s health into account the Uttarakhand government has now put a complete ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of pan masala and gutkha.
A strict order to this effect was issued here by Food Safety Commissioner Nitesh Kumar Jha.
Explaining the reason behind the ban, the order said, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India bans the use of tobacco and nicotine as an ingredient in any product meant for human consumption but it has been learnt that gutka, pan masala and several other similar products being sold under various names continue to have a high content of them as components.
The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has by far banned 12 pan masala brands containing magnesium carbonate in August this year.
The food and safety department of the state has issued the order to raise the health concerns.