The Government of Manipur has announced a sweeping one-year ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutkha, pan masala and other chewing-tobacco products containing tobacco or nicotine, with immediate effect. The measure is aimed at safeguarding public health under provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The order prohibits all varieties of gutkha, pan masala, chaap tobacco, khaini, zarda, pure tobacco and scented or flavoured forms, regardless of their brand or packaging. It also extends to products sold separately but designed to be mixed and consumed together, such as pan masala and tobacco sachets.
The move follows similar restrictions enforced in several Indian states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal, where gutkha and tobacco-infused pan masala have been banned for their proven health hazards and addictive potential. Public-health studies have consistently linked the use of such products to oral cancers, heart disease and other life-threatening conditions.
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The ban stems from the recognition that tobacco-laced food products pose a serious risk to human health and that their easy availability undermines ongoing anti-tobacco initiatives. The government has made it clear that strict legal action will be taken against anyone found manufacturing or selling these banned substances.
Officials said the decision is “in the interest of public health” and is part of a broader effort to reduce tobacco consumption across the state. The order reiterates that enforcement will cover every district of Manipur for one year from the date of issue.
With this step, Manipur joins a growing list of states adopting stringent anti-tobacco regulations to curb the rising incidence of lifestyle-related diseases and ensure compliance with national food-safety laws.
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