A recent government order in Karnataka has sparked questions about tobacco rules. The Commissioner of Food Safety issued the notification in Bengaluru on 15 June 2026 under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety Act and Regulation 2.3.4. It took effect on 10 August and was publicly announced on 12 August.
The order bans the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutkha and pan masala that contain tobacco or nicotine. It also prohibits items sold separately but intended for mixing by buyers to bypass restrictions.
The measure applies statewide and lasts one year. Officials confirmed ongoing enforcement against tobacco products, yet the order focuses only on chewable items like gutkha.
Cigarettes remain available. The notification does not cover them because it operates under food safety rules, which apply to ingested products. Cigarettes fall instead under the central Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act of 2003, administered by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through state tobacco control cells.
India maintains separate systems: food safety rules for chewable tobacco and COTPA for smoked products. This distinction explains why the Karnataka order leaves cigarettes untouched. Loose rolling tobacco may require further clarification, but pre-made cigarettes stay outside its scope.
