The sale of raw chewable tobacco products like khaini could be banned in the national capital.

The Delhi government has written to the food safety department of Union health ministry to label raw chewable tobacco like khaini as food to ban under regulation of the Food Safety Act.

Consumption of raw tobacco is responsible for 90 per cent of oral cancer in the country. The recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2017) by WHO has found that nearly 8.5 crore people consume khaini in India which is highest in the world. Dr SK Arora, additional director (Health), Delhi State Tobacco Control Cell told Mail Today, "Khaini is the most commonly used tobacco substance in our country."

He informed that about two years ago the Delhi State Tobacco Control Cell had written to the Union health ministry to revise the definition of food to label raw chewable tobaccos like khaini as food article to ban it. "However, there was no feedback. We have written to the Centre's food safety department again because the GATS results show a huge spike in the number of raw chewable tobacco users."

Delhi government's letter noted: "Provision to section 3(j) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 clearly states that the central government may declare, by notification in the official gazette, any article as food regarding its use, nature, substance or quality."

"If we can modify the definition of food by saying that 'any substance which is put inside mouth for the purpose of consumption fully or partially, by methods like chewing, sucking or any other as practised, it may be labeled as food item'. Thereby, tobacco will become a food article," it added