Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has banned the use of pan and tobacco products in schools, colleges, hospitals and other government buildings.
He instructed his officials and staff to stop chewing pan and pan masala when on duty.
Tobacco use is the foremost preventable cause of death and disease in India, and globally. As per the Global Audit Tobacco Survey — India (GATS) 2010, over 20 crore Indians consume smokeless tobacco/chewing, making the consequent burden of mortality and morbidity due to consumption of smokeless tobacco very high in India. Available evidence suggests that India shares the maximum burden of oral cancer in the World.
Union Government has issued a complete ban on sale of food products containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients across India. These would include Gutka, Paan Masala, Zarda and tobacco-based flavoured mouth fresheners.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written to all states for issuing strict directions for banning the production, promotion and sale of these food products.
The move came following a Supreme Court order dated September 23, 2016, banning chewing tobacco products.
While Bihar, Karnataka, Mizoram, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have issued orders in compliance of the apex Court’s order; several states are yet to follow suit.