The Odisha government has banned the production, packaging, distribution, and sale of gutkha, tobacco, cigarettes, beedis, and other related products across the state in an effort to curb the rising incidence of cancer.
The decision was announced through a gazette notification issued by the state’s Health Department on January 22, 2026.
Under the ban, a wide range of tobacco and nicotine-based products have been prohibited. These include gutkha, paan masala, zarda, and khaini, as well as all flavoured, scented, or additive-containing chewing products.
The restriction applies to both packaged and unpackaged tobacco items, including products sold in separate packets intended for combined use.
Any food product containing tobacco or nicotine, irrespective of its name or form, has also been banned.
The notification specifies that the ban covers all oral tobacco products, regardless of how they are manufactured, sold, stocked, or consumed.
The Health Department said the move was prompted by a sharp rise in cancer cases in the state, with a significant number linked to the consumption of tobacco-related products.
It noted that the use of such items increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, stomach, kidneys, lungs, and other organs.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com