As per the National Cancer Registry Programme of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the estimated number of mortality due to cancer of mouth was 34,668, 37,212 and 39,951 in 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively. These estimates are however subject to certain limitations on data. Also, there is no separate data available to ascribe the above deaths to Pan Masala consumption.
Standards of Pan Masala are specified under sub-regulations 2.11.5 of Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has not issued any direction to ban Pan Masala. However, as per provisions of sub-regulation 2.4.5 (3) of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, every package of Pan Masala and advertisement relating thereto is required to carry the following warning, namely-“Chewing of Pan Masala is injurious to health’
The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Sh Ashwini Kumar Choubey stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha .
