The ban on gutkha and pan masala across Maharashtra came into effect from on Friday with the state government issuing a notification in this regard. The notification, which bans the sale and consumption of gutkha and paan masala, will be valid for a year. It will be later extended for another 12 months. The state cabinet had decided on the ban last week.

Figures show that gutkha was one of the major reasons for oral diseases. The monthly sale of gutkha in Maharashtra is estimated to be around Rs 300 crore and the government annually earns more than Rs 100 crore in taxes on it.