A doctor, who did not want himself to be named said, the Gutka sellers are Maut ka Saudagars (Merchants of Death). They should have been stopped long ago from killing the people through the consumption of their deadly product. But the danger is not over. During this six-month period, the merchants of death may try other methods to sell the intoxicants in shapes and forms which may not invite the provisions of the ban.

In this connection I would like to draw the attention of the authorities to what is being reported from Gujarat. A report says that eleven days after gutka banned in Gujarat on September 11, over 30 meetings of gutka manufacturers and pan shop owners were held in different parts of Ahmedabad, where retailers were told about existing and new products that can help make the most of loopholes in the ban.

Experts should put their heads together to ensure that Gutka is not made to enter through the backdoor. Statistics quoted in a report state that in Alahabad at present over 10,000 cancer patients are undergoing treatment. They got the deadly disease through the consumption of gutka. In addition, 600 more oral cancer patients undergoing treatment in Allahabad got the disease after consuming tobacco. Gutka is entrapping youngsters in its grip mainly because of its easy accessibility in paan shops outside schools and colleges. Youngsters ape their elders and feel as if to take Gutka makes them appear more sophisticated and impressive. They get a taste of the reverse when they land in a hospital and find that the may not survive in case the disease has gone out of hands.