PANJIM: As a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Goa government has decided to ban the use of smokeless tobacco products that trigger an urge among consumers to spit. The decision is as per the recommendations of the Central government.
The Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare, in a letter issued to all States directing to stop the use of smokeless tobacco, said, “While spitting in public increases the dangers of the COVID-19 spread, chewing of smokeless tobacco products (gutkha, zarda, khaini and paan masala) and areca nut (supari) increases the production of saliva followed by a very strong urge to spit.”
Because of the increasing risk, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) appealed to the people not to consume and spit smokeless tobacco in public places, the Ministry said.
Speaking to Herald, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the government will act upon all recommendations of the Union Health Ministry. “I have issued directions to Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration to implement the order and ban sale of smokeless tobacco,” he said.
Rane said the State will take all measures in the interest of its people’s health and safety. The Minister said that as directed by the Centre, besides the anti-tobacco law, the State will take action under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the Disaster Management Act, 2005 as well as various provisions of the Indian Penal Code 1860, against the violators.
He said that State already has the ‘Goa Prohibition of Smoking and Spitting Act, 1997’, under which police and mamlatdars have been given powers to ensure its implementation and take action. “We will see that it is implemented in toto,” the Minister said.
As per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS 2), ten per cent of adults in Goa consume smokeless tobacco and four per cent smoke it.
The National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) has also appealed
to the government
to ban production and sale of tobacco products.
NOTE secretary Dr Shekhar Salkar said that spitting of smokeless tobacco, pan masala and such products in public places causes the spread of infectious diseases dangerous to life such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, influenza, swine flu, pneumonia, gastro-intestinal diseases, coronavirus (COVID-19) and other persistent infectious diseases.
Salkar said the State, under Section 2 of the Epidemics Diseases Act 1897, has framed the Goa Epidemic Disease COVID-19 Regulations for prevention and the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases.“Hence, it has enough powers to ban the sale of tobacco and its product,” he added.
Salkar said the State already has the Goa Prohibition of Smoking and Spitting Act in place and under this, there is just a need to issue a notification to implement it.
