Bengaluru: The Karnataka Department of Food Safety and Drugs Administration has intensified enforcement operations targeting gutkha, pan masala and related substances after the state government issued an official notification prohibiting their sale and distribution for one year. According to an official release from the Commissioner of Food Safety and Drugs Administration in Bengaluru, the restriction came into force on 10 August 2026 and aims to safeguard public health across the region.
Under the provisions of the new directive, the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of any gutkha or pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine are strictly prohibited throughout Karnataka. The ban extends to products sold separately that are designed to be mixed together by consumers to create a nicotine-containing final product.
Special inspection and enforcement operations led by Food Safety Officers are now under way state-wide to curb the supply chain of these banned substances. Legal action is being executed under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, alongside Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011.
Authorities have affirmed that stringent measures will be implemented to prevent illicit trade, whilst appealing to members of the public to report any non-compliance or illegal distribution to help foster a healthier, addiction-free state.
(Inputs from IANS)