The Odisha government has imposed a complete ban on gutka, pan masala, cigarettes and all tobacco products across the state.

 

Here’s the latest confirmed information on the ban in Odisha:

🛑 What the Odisha government has actually done

The Odisha government has issued a fresh, comprehensive ban on the manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of all products containing tobacco or nicotine, including gutka, pan masala and other chewable items, across the state. This is a strengthened version of earlier restrictions.

📌 What’s included in the ban

• Gutka – completely prohibited.

• Pan masala and similar chewable food products that contain tobacco or nicotine – fully banned whether flavoured, scented, packaged or not.

• Zarda, khaini and other smokeless tobacco products are also covered.

⚠️ What isn’t clearly covered (based on official notifications)

• According to some reports, the ban focuses on tobacco/nicotine-containing products that are chewable or mixed with food — cigarettes and bidis are not explicitly included under this new order because they aren’t defined as “food products” under the ban’s language.

  • However, other reports suggest the ban extends to all products with tobacco or nicotine — this may reflect different interpretations of the notification.

📍 Why this ban was introduced

• The government says the move aims to protect public health, especially given the high rate of smokeless tobacco use in Odisha (more than 42% of adults), which is linked to cancer and other diseases.

• It also responds to Supreme Court directives to fully enforce bans on gutka and associated products without loopholes.

📌 Key points about enforcement

• The health department’s notification tightens and closes gaps in the earlier 2013 ban so products aren’t circumvented by selling pan masala and tobacco separately.

• District drugs inspectors and enforcement authorities will be tasked with ensuring compliance.