The Hindu : National : Goa to enforce ban on tobacco products from October 2

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 27, 2005

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National

Goa to enforce ban on tobacco products from October 2

Special Correspondent

PANAJI: The Goa Government will enforce the ban on an entire range of food articles containing tobacco of any kind (edible), including gutkha, khaini, zafrani, zarda, pan masala, quiwam, from October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) through the Goa Public Health (Amendment) Act, 2005.

Health Minister Dayanand Narvekar said apart from banning "the articles of food injurious to public health," the Act would ban any use of tobacco-related articles, including cigarettes, pan masala, gutkha, beedis, cigars, chewing tobacco, within a distance of 50 metres from various religious and educational institutions and sports complexes.

The Act prohibits people from dealing in certain articles of food in designated areas such as educational institutions, all religious places, hospitals, nursing homes, the State Legislative Assembly complex, the State Secretariat complex, government and court buildings, sports complexes, stadia and playgrounds.

Punishment, including imprisonment between six months to three years and a fine not less than Rs. 10,000, would be meted out to anyone acting in contravention of the Act. Goa has been a pioneer in enacting laws against smoking and spitting in public places.

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