Strengthening its battle against tobacco consumption, the Maharashtra government has banned the manufacture, storage, and sale of all forms of chewing tobacco in the state. According to a government order, all forms of manufactured chewing tobacco, packaged or unpackaged, and whether sold as one product or otherwise, are now banned. The ban has also been extended to all additives of chewing tobacco, including kharra and mawa. Food Safety Commissioner Dr. Harshdeep Kamble has issued orders applying the ban on these products for a year starting July 20. [related-post] Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had last week announced extension of the three-year ban on gutkha, pan masala, and floured scented tobacco/supari for another year. The extension of the ban to manufactured chewing tobacco comes after complaints on how tobacco sellers were exploiting grey areas in the previous ban to sell tobacco in chewable form.
