Issue advertisements saying ban unfair when tobacco content is higher in cigarettes manufacturers in a few states have moved court against the ban

Piqued by the number of states opting to ban the production, sale and marketing of gutkha, a group of manufacturers under the aegis of the Smokeless Tobacco Association have issued print ads saying it is unfair to ban their products when the tobacco content in these is lower than that in cigarettes. The ads, which appeared prominently in newspapers, say that one pouch of gutkha contains 0.2 g of tobacco as against 0.63 g in a single cigarette. The ads also blame “the powerful lobby of cigarette companies” for the ban, which has compelled a number of small gutkha manufacturers to shut shop.