Even as those ubiquitous festoons of gutka sachets hanging at roadside shops
have begun disappearing after they were banned by the State government last
week, many consumers of smokeless tobacco in the city appear to have switched
to what their grandparents used to chew.
The demand for “desi paan”, a simple combination of betel nut smeared with
white lime, areca and, crucially, a smidgeon of tobacco, has spiked, many paan
shop owners say.
Doctors caution that consumption of tobacco in any form is harmful. Smokeless
tobacco consumption is more injurious to health than smoking as chewing of
tobacco directly affects the oral cavity and enters into the system.
Hansraj Singh, a paan shop owner on Infantry Road, said that he would not
risk stocking gutka now. He added that he would stop selling all smokeless
tobacco products in the wake of the ban. However, he said that many addicts had
migrated to “desi paan” and other traditional paan because gutka is either not
available or is being sold in black.
While many shop owners claim that they have exhausted their stock, some
shops were indeed still found selling gutka, but with only a few brands with no
fresh stocks coming in.
More time
M. Madan Gopal, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), said that
it would take a couple of days for the department to enforce the gutka ban
effectively.
“We have issued guidelines on enforcement and today, our officials have
started raids. They have seized stocks from different parts of the State. It is
just a beginning and we will soon crack down on the sale of gutka in all
forms,” he said.
In some areas, the police have warned paan shop owners not to stock or sell
gutka, shop owners told The Hindu .
Not that this has cured addicts of their cravings. “It is difficult now to
procure gutka since most shops have run out of the stock. I need a particular
brand, which is not available in the market, so I have shifted to another,”
said Ram Gogio, who works on M.G. Road.
“Many people whom I know have shifted to ‘desi paan’,” he added.
This was confirmed by Kamal Singh who said that he had stopped buying gutka
as it has become very expensive after the ban. “I have shifted to ‘desi paan’,
which is cheaper.”
The ban has come as a relief for gutka consumers like Shabeer Ahmed, a pet
shop owner in Shivajinagar, who has decided to quit altogether. “The
government’s decision to ban gutka encouraged me to stop consuming it. I am
sure many may have quit like me,” he said.
Price hike likely?
Meanwhile, paan shop owners believe that the prices of betel leaves, nuts
and other ingredients are likely to go up in the light of gutka ban, following
which many have started consuming “desi paan” and other regular paan. “Many
paan shop owners are likely to increase the price of paan to offset their loss
after the gutka ban. We are seeing an increase in the number of consumers of
‘desi paan’,” said Subash, a paan shop owner in Shivajinagar
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