Now Reading: Karnataka bans gutkha, pan masala with tobacco for one year
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Karnataka bans gutkha, pan masala with tobacco for one year
The Karnataka government has banned the sale and distribution of products containing tobacco and nicotine for one year from August 10, 2026. The food safety department issued the notification under the Food…
The Story in Brief
The Karnataka government has banned the sale and distribution of products containing tobacco and nicotine for one year from August 10, 2026. The food safety department issued the notification under the Food Safety and Standards Act, targeting gutkha, pan masala and similar items. Officials said special inspections and enforcement operations are under way across the state.
The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) has urged the government not to let the ban hurt arecanut growers or the legitimate arecanut trade. Campco president SR Satishchandra said arecanut is a plantation crop supporting lakhs of farmers and should not be conflated with tobacco products. Karnataka's GST collection from arecanut and arecanut-based products was Rs 90.02 crore in the first quarter of 2026-27, the highest among states.
The Indian Opinion
The ban is a clear public-health move, but farmers fear enforcement creep. The Karnataka government must ensure inspections target only tobacco- and nicotine-laced products, not raw arecanut. Growers contribute over 70% of India's arecanut output and pay crores in GST. A single misdirected raid could panic an entire supply chain. Will the food safety department issue separate, binding guidelines for agricultural produce before the first seizure is made?
Sources (2): ndtv.com, thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
