Srinagar The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has imposed a one-year prohibition on the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of gutkha, pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine, and other food products mixed with tobacco or nicotine across the Union Territory.
According to an official statement, the order was issued by the Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration, who is also the Commissioner of Food Safety, J&K, under provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.
The prohibition covers gutkha, pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine, and all chewable or flavoured food products containing tobacco and/or nicotine, including products sold separately but intended to be mixed and consumed together.
The order will remain in force across Jammu and Kashmir for one year from June 2026, the statement said.
According to the FDA, the measure has been taken in the interest of public health, particularly to protect children, adolescents, youth and other vulnerable groups from the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine consumption.
The Commissioner has directed designated officers, food safety officers and enforcement teams to intensify market surveillance and inspection drives across the Union Territory, with special focus on educational institutions, public places, transport hubs, wholesale markets and other areas frequented by young consumers.
The FDA has appealed to the public, educational institutions, civil society organisations and traders’ associations to report violations to the concerned authorities through its toll-free helpline or other designated grievance redressal channels.
