The Odisha government has issued a fresh order imposing a complete ban on all products containing tobacco or nicotine, acting in accordance with a Supreme Court order, according to an official notification.
While the state had previously prohibited the manufacture, storage, sale, and distribution of gutkha and pan masala containing these substances on January 3, 2013, the new order expands the scope of enforcement.
The move to completely ban products containing tobacco or nicotine follows a 2016 observation by the Supreme Court that manufacturers were bypassing regulations by selling pan masala (without tobacco) and flavoured chewing tobacco in separate or conjoined sachets, allowing consumers to mix and consume them together.
In response, the apex court directed all states to ensure total compliance with the ban on the manufacturing and sale of gutkha and pan masala, regardless of how the tobacco or nicotine is packaged.
On Wednesday, the Odisha Health Department issued a fresh notification banning the manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale of any product containing tobacco or nicotine, whether sold as a single unit or as separate components.
“The prohibition extends to all food products, whether chewable or otherwise, which are either flavoured or scented or mixed with any additives,” the government order read.
Under these regulations, all food products—regardless of whether they are marketed as gutkha, pan masala, or other flavoured and chewable items—are now completely banned throughout the state.
This latest notification supersedes the previous order issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department in 2013.
Citing the International Agency for Research on Cancer under the WHO, the notification emphasised that chewing tobacco products—including zarda, khaini, gutka, and processed or scented tobacco—are classified as cancer-causing substances
Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling said that district drugs inspectors will lead enforcement activities to ensure strict adherence to the ban across the state.
According to the second round of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, over 42 per cent of Odisha’s adult population uses smokeless tobacco, a figure that is nearly double the national average.
