Uttarakhand bans gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine for a year: manufacture, storage, distribution and sale prohibited

Vinay Shankar Pandey, Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Uttarakhand, issued an order on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, banning the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutkha, pan masala and other such food products containing tobacco and nicotine in the state for one year. The order took effect immediately and will remain in force until October 13, 2027. Using tobacco or nicotine as an ingredient in any food product is also banned. The ban is not limited to sale in shops; it also covers stock in godowns, supply and distribution, so wholesale and retail traders must also comply. The order was issued under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulation 2.3.4 of the Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales Regulations, 2011, and has been sent to all District Magistrates and Chief Medical Officers for compliance. Violations will be acted on under food safety law.