Jammu and Kashmir District Implements Ban on Smokeless Tobacco

Authorities in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, have banned 'Cool Lip', a smokeless tobacco product, to protect public health, especially among schoolchildren. The ban responds to the product's growing availability near schools. It invokes laws against tobacco in food products, enforced by district officials.

Authorities in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir have swiftly enforced a ban on the smokeless tobacco product known as 'Cool Lip', citing significant concerns over public health, especially regarding schoolchildren. This decisive action was announced by Additional District Magistrate Anil Kumar Thakur on Saturday.

The ban emerges amidst mounting worries about 'Cool Lip's availability to minors, particularly in the vicinity of educational institutions. Found in shops near schools, the product poses serious risks concerning oral health and addiction. Officials stress the necessity of this prohibition to protect the community's youth.

The ban references the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, which bar tobacco in food items. It also aligns with previous orders under SRO 68 from 2013. Enforcement will be carried out by local police, education officers, and food safety authorities, with immediate and indefinite effect.

(With inputs from agencies.)