Punjab prohibits sale of processed, flavoured tobacco and nicotine products for 1 year

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, February 22 The Punjab Government has prohibited the manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutkha, pan masala, processed/flavoured/scented chewing tobacco and any other food products containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients, whether packaged or unpackaged or sold as one or separate products, throughout the state for a period of one year. 

Announcing this, an official spokesman said the decision had been taken in view of the orders of the Supreme Court, wherein it observed that to circumvent the ban on the sale of gutkha, the manufacturers are selling pan masala (without tobacco) with flavoured chewing tobacco in separate sachets.