Chandigarh: The Punjab Government has prohibited the manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of “Gutkha”, “Pan Masala”, processed/flavored/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 for a period of 1 year throughout the state.
Disclosing this, an official spokesman said that the decision has been taken in view of the orders of the Supreme Court of India wherein it observed that to circumvent ban of sale of gutkha, the manufacturers are selling pan masala (without tobacco) with flavored chewing tobacco in separate sachets.