Tobacco products worth over Rs 1 lakh destroyed by burning them in front of the media persons
TFM News Service
Solid Waste Management Treatment Plant, Lamphel on Saturday destroyed chewable tobacco products worth over Rs 1 lakh by burning them in front of the media persons.
Products were seized from shops in Ngari Gali and other central Imphal areas, said Food Safety Administration, Imphal West Designated Officer Tekcham Brojendro on Saturday. He appealed to the public to inform the food safety officer or medical directorate if tobacco products were found selling in their localities.
Brojendro said eating pan, jardar, kheini, gutka and other chewable tobacco products is injurious to health and can cause death due to cancer. So, there is prohibition and restriction on sale of food products containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients under regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, he added.
Cracking down on the sale of food products containing tobacco and nicotine openly in the Imphal area by violating, such products worth Rs 1 lakh seized during a drive were destroyed by burning them, he said. Eating such products not only causes cancer, but also helps in spreading coronavirus amid covid 19 pandemic , Brojendro said citing an ICMR report.
He further said ignoring the government’s order and selling food products containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients will attract penal action. Shop licence will be cancelled if a businessman is found selling such, he added. He also roped in the general public to help curb sale of such products.