Karnataka imposes one-year ban on gutkha and tobacco-based pan masala

Karnataka has imposed a statewide one-year ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, and sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and/or nicotine, citing concerns over public health. The decision was announced by the Office of the Commissioner of Food Safety and applies across the state with immediate effect.

Ban order issued

The order has been issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, along with the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.

A notification released by the Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Bengaluru, states that the ban covers all forms of gutkha and pan masala that contain tobacco and/or nicotine, reported the Times of India.

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Its scope extends beyond products sold under those specific names. Any item marketed separately but containing tobacco or nicotine in the final consumable form also falls within the prohibition.

The ban remains applicable irrespective of branding, product description, or whether the goods are sold in packaged or unpackaged form.

Wider scope

Authorities have also moved against products designed to be combined by consumers before use. The notification bars items sold as separate components when their packaging, sale, or distribution effectively encourages mixing.

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According to the notification, gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine are prohibited whether packed in sachets, pouches, containers, packages, or any other form of packaging. Products marketed under alternative names are also covered if they contain the banned ingredients.

Legal basis

According to a report in India Today the Karnataka government issued the notification on June 15, 2026. The order was promulgated by the Commissioner of Food Safety, Karnataka State, under clause (a) of Sub-section (2) of Section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, read with Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.

The Commissioner, Food Safety and Drug Administration, Bengaluru, stated that the measure was introduced in the interest of protecting public health.