Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Karnataka bans gutkha and pan masala; cigarettes not included
In the Indian state of Karnataka, some kinds of chewing tobacco are now banned.
These are products called gutkha and pan masala that contain tobacco or nicotine.
Stores cannot make, keep, transport, or sell these products anymore.
The rule became effective on 10 August 2026 and lasts for one year.
It also stops a sneaky trick where sellers gave out the parts separately so people could mix them at home.
Many people wondered if cigarettes were banned too.
They are not banned by this rule.
Cigarettes are smoked instead of chewed, so they are handled by a different law called COTPA.
That law takes care of cigarette packaging, warnings, and smoking in public places.
So people can still buy cigarettes in Bengaluru, just like before.
Karnataka's Commissioner of Food Safety issued an order on 15 June 2026 banning the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine.
The ban took effect on 10 August 2026 and was officially announced on 12 August 2026, covering the entire state of Karnataka for one year.
The notification also targets sellers who split banned products into separately sold mixing components to evade the law.
Cigarettes are not banned under this notification because it falls under food safety law, while smoked tobacco is regulated by the central Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003.
COTPA, administered by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, governs cigarette advertising, packaging, health warnings, public smoking bans and sales to minors.
- Who
- The Commissioner of Food Safety issued the order, while cigarette regulation falls under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and COTPA.
- What
- A statewide ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine; cigarettes are not included.
- When
- The order was issued on 15 June 2026, effective from 10 August 2026, officially announced on 12 August 2026, and valid for one year.
- Where
- The entire state of Karnataka, India; the order was issued in Bengaluru.
- Why
- To prevent the sale of chewing tobacco products and stop sellers from splitting banned products into separate parts to dodge the law.
- Banned products
- Gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine
- Not banned
- Cigarettes (regulated under COTPA)
- Legal basis
- Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety Act, read with Regulation 2.3.4
- Order issued
- 15 June 2026, by the Commissioner of Food Safety
- Effective date
- 10 August 2026
- Scope
- Entire state of Karnataka
- Duration
- One year from the date of issuance
- Cigarette law
- Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003