Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar warned that pan masala, gutka and other related products could be banned across the state if found to contain intoxicating or narcotic substances.
"It has come to my notice that intoxicating substances are being mixed and sold in pan masala, gutka, arecanut, and other products. If this is true and is not stopped immediately, the sale of all kinds of pan masala and gutka products will be banned in Karnataka," Shivakumar posted on X.
The chief minister made the remarks on Sunday at the 31st Foundation Day celebrations of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan programme, held at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
He said the government would crack down on manufacturers found mixing intoxicants into these products and vowed to pursue a ban if the practice was confirmed.
"If anyone is found adding even a small quantity of any intoxicating substance to these products, I will make every effort to ban them in Karnataka," he said.
Calling for collective action against substance abuse, Shivakumar urged students and healthcare professionals to act as ambassadors for a drug-free Karnataka. "Preventing drug addiction is a big challenge, and we must all come together to ensure the youth do not fall into this trap. This is everyone's duty," he said.
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He also referenced India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, saying "the children of today will make the India of tomorrow" to underscore the importance of protecting young people from addiction.
Karnataka already enforces restrictions on gutka and chewable tobacco products under the Food Safety and Standards Act, with the state periodically renewing bans on the manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of such items citing health hazards, including oral cancer risks linked to areca nut and tobacco use.
Shivakumar's latest remarks signal a potential widening of enforcement to cover products adulterated with narcotic substances, beyond existing tobacco-related curbs.
Speaking separately on healthcare infrastructure, Shivakumar said Karnataka has 70 medical colleges, the highest number of any state, and described the state as the "medical capital of India."
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