Sale of gutkha continues due to lack of law enforcement in cuttack. Picture by BadrikaNath Dasvikash Sharma

Cuttack, Sept. 3: Gutkha and tobacco products are back in the market as authorities have failed to implement a complete ban on the sale and consumption of the products.

Gutkha, pan masala and other products containing tobacco or nicotine- like substances are now available almost everywhere in the city.

Though there has been a sharp drop in the supply of such products from neighbouring states, consumers still can have access to these products by shelling just Rs 2 to Rs 5 extra.

Through a notification issued on January 4, the state government had banned the use, manufacture and supply of smokeless tobacco products such as gutkha, khaini, gudaku and zarda.

Odisha is the 15th state in the country to ban manufacture, storage and sale of such tobacco products following the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.

“We had filed a PIL in high court and the state government had subsequently imposed a ban on gutkha and other smokeless tobacco products. However, various zarda companies moved court stating that zarda should not be covered under the notification,” said Md Imran Ali, a public health activist.

The court had ordered its nodal agencies not to destroy the seized gutkha and other smokeless tobacco products and to keep them in safe custody till further orders.

Ali said though gutkha was being sold clandestinely following the ban, now it was being sold openly in the market.

Many people in the city said a complete ban on such tobacco products should be implemented keeping in view various health hazards, including cancer.

“The ban has been remained on paper, despite the fact that a lot of people are getting diagnosed with oral cancer mainly because of gutkha consumption,” said Jaya Mohanty, a resident of Bhagatpur.

The district administration had recently convened an emergency meeting to chalk out an action plan to intensify its operation against the sale of gutkha in the city.

“As the traders have moved court against the ban, we are facing problems in enforcing the ban. However, we have convened a meeting to discuss about launching an awareness campaign till further orders from court,” said district collector Girish S.N.

The collector said an awareness drive would be launched to seek peoples’ support to check sale of such tobacco products.