2 in 3 quit tobacco post gutkha ban: Study

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Oct 18

A new study on the impact of gutkha ban across the nation has revealed that two in every three persons quit tobacco.

The survey was conducted by John Hopkins University, WHO India and the Centre for Communication and Change-India in eight high-tobacco burden states, which have banned manufacture, storage and sale of gutkha across India.

Two in every three persons who quit the gutka post the ban, did so after it was imposed in the wake of a Health Ministry notification dated August 11, 2011. The survey was conducted in Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Delhi.

“In the eight states surveyed, 66 per cent of the quitters said they quit because the product was banned. This percentage was lower for Delhi where 44 per cent people who quit did so due to the gutkha ban; and Gujarat where 41 per cent did so,” reveal the findings.

Even among respondents using pre pre-packaged gutkha, half (49 per cent) said they consumed less after the ban by states. This percentage was again low (29 per cent) for Delhi.

The survey conducted across chosen districts in the above states revealed an overwhelming support for the gutkha ban, with 92 per cent respondents (current and former gutkha users) backing it. Not all is well though. “Many gutkha users have started purchasing ingredients separately and making their own mix but the good part is 80 per cent respondents agreed that the gutkha ban will help people quit the habit. Since the ban was imposed, a substantial proportion of respondents in each state, ranging from 41 to 88 per cent, said they quit gutkha due to the ban,” says Dr Krishnarth Ray, a study author.

The findings show the cost of pre-packaged gutkha had increased following the bans, though none of the retail outlets visited was found selling the illegal packages. Pre-packaged gutka comprised crushed areca nut, tobacco, catechu and lime.

Study authors, however, warn policy makers against manufacturers switching to twin packages to sell gutkha. Instead of selling pre-packaged gutkha, they have started selling tobacco separately and other food ingredients separately. The buyer can mix the two. As per WHO, two in five deaths among adults aged 30 and above in India are happening due to the use of smokeless tobacco.

Several states banned gutkha after the August 5, 2011 Health Ministry notification under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011 which said tobacco and nicotine would not be used as ingredients in food products. It added that since gutkha, khaini, masher, etc., are food products consumed for flavour or use, they could not contain injurious substances like tobacco, a proven carcinogen.