Uttarakhand has banned gutkha, pan masala and other food products containing tobacco or nicotine for one year, with the restriction taking immediate effect. The order, issued on Tuesday by Vinay Shankar Pandey, Commissioner of the state's Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, prohibits the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of these products across Uttarakhand, regardless of their brand names.
Gutkha, Pan Masala Banned In Uttarakhand
VIDEO | Dehradun: On Uttarakhand banning gutkha, pan masala, food products containing tobacco for a year, Food Safety and Drug Administration Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey says, “… Public health is the biggest reason behind this decision. There is nothing more important than health, and it has been found that this is harmful and affects health.” (Full video available on PTI Videos – #Uttarakhand— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 13, 2026
The decision has been taken in the interest of public health. Explaining the move, Commissioner Pandey said, “The biggest reason behind this decision is public health. There is nothing more important than health.”
The order notes that tobacco and nicotine are prohibited as ingredients in food products under Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. It identifies gutkha and pan masala containing these ingredients as products covered by the restriction.
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The ban applies to gutkha, pan masala and any other food product containing tobacco or nicotine, irrespective of the name under which it is sold. It covers the entire supply chain, from manufacturing and storage to distribution and sale. The restriction is in force across the state for one year from the date of the order.
Enforcement Drive Next
The order invokes the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, particularly Section 30(2), which empowers a State Food Safety Commissioner to prohibit the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of a food article in part or all of the state for up to one year in the interest of public health.
It also cites the 2011 regulations, which prohibit the use of tobacco and nicotine as ingredients in food products.
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Enforcement drives are expected in the coming days. Commissioner Pandey said district authorities would be involved in implementing the order, adding that the ban had been partially implemented at the time of his statement.
The next step will be enforcement on the ground to ensure the restriction is followed across Uttarakhand.