State seizes gutka worth ₹63 cr, but only 8 FIRs filed in Mumbai

Mumbai, despite its population, logged only 8 FIRs for banned tobacco from Apr 2024-Mar 2025, raising cancer concerns among youth due to poor enforcement.

MUMBAI:

In Mumbai, despite the over decade-old ban, gutka continues to be easily available as it is sold discreetly through local paan shops, often near schools and transport hubs (HT Archives) (Hindustan Times)

Despite being Maharashtra’s most populous city with over 12.7 million residents, Mumbai recorded only eight First Information Reports (FIRs) relating to banned tobacco-based substances between April 2024 and March 2025, which is very telling about their accessibility. This number falls short compared to smaller divisions such as Nagpur (103), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (88), Amravati (64), Nashik (50), Pune (41) and Thane (24).

Public health experts warn that this ban enforcement gap is directly fuelling a rise in oral and head-neck cancers, especially among the youth. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials blamed manpower shortage, but experts argue this shortfall has real, visible consequences.

Gutka and paan masala were first banned in Maharashtra in 2012, due to the grave health risks they pose. The ban was extended in 2019, prohibiting their manufacture, sale, distribution and storage. However, the latest enforcement data from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests that the law remains poorly implemented in key regions such as Mumbai, reducing it to a symbolic policy rather than a deterrent.

FDA figures reveal that gutka and paan masala worth ₹63.23 crore were seized across seven divisions in the state, from April 2024 to March 2025. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar accounted for the largest share, at ₹44.5 crore, followed by Nashik ( ₹3.85 crore) and Pune ( ₹3.01 crore). A total of 499 samples were tested across the state, and 415 were found to contain banned substances. Yet Mumbai, despite its population density and high tobacco usage, conducted just 11 inspections, sealed no establishments or vehicles, and made the lowest-value seizure at ₹15.1 lakh.

In Mumbai, despite the over decade-old ban, gutka continues to be easily available as it is sold discreetly through local paan shops, often near schools and transport hubs. Health experts say this widespread availability is directly reflected in hospital data.

At Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), nearly a quarter of all registered cancer patients are diagnosed with head and neck cancers, and a vast majority—around 80%—are linked to the use of smokeless tobacco, according to senior oncologist Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, who leads the centre for cancer epidemiology at the hospital.

“We are increasingly seeing adolescents with early signs of oral cancer due to tobacco-chewing habits,” said Dr Shripad Banavali, senior medical oncologist and director of academics at Tata Memorial Hospital. “Peer influence and unrestricted access to gutka are leading them into long-term health crises. What’s tragic is that these cancers are preventable if enforcement and awareness go hand in hand.” TMH treats around 2,500 new paediatric cancer patients every year, nearly half of whom come from outside Mumbai.

Dr Bela Verma, Head of the Paediatrics Department at JJ Hospital, is of a similar view: “We are seeing teenagers with pre-cancerous lesions linked to gutka. That should be a red flag. When enforcement fails, it’s the healthcare system that bears the burden.”

An FDA officer confirmed that most of the gutka and paan masala supply enters Maharashtra from Gujarat and Rajasthan, and is then distributed through retail and transport networks across Mumbai and adjoining cities. “This is a well-organised supply chain, and the lack of consistent urban enforcement emboldens it,” the officer said.

The FDA data also shows that 127 vehicles were seized across the state—Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar topped the list with 49, followed by Nashik and Amravati with 26 each, Pune 19 and Thane 7. Mumbai reported zero vehicle seizures.

The issue sparked political outrage when BJP MLA Vikram Pachpute alleged in the assembly recently that banned gutka was openly available even within the Vidhan Bhavan premises. “If the government can’t enforce a ban in its own legislature, what message is it sending the public?” he said.

In response, state FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal assured the house that renewed action would be taken against paan masala advertisements, online delivery platforms and cloud kitchens that serve as indirect distribution channels for banned tobacco products.