Kargil, April 12: In a decisive step to safeguard public health—particularly among school-going children—the district magistrate of Kargil, Shrikant Balasaheb Suse, Saturday imposed an immediate ban on the storage, sale, display and distribution of the tobacco-laced mouth freshener “Cool Lip” across the district.
The decision follows rising concerns over the increasing availability and appeal of the product to minors, especially around educational institutions. Cool Lip, which contains filtered tobacco, has been found in shops near schools, raising serious oral health and addiction-related risks.
The ban order cites clause 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, which prohibits the use of tobacco and nicotine as ingredients in any food product, as well as earlier prohibitory measures issued under SRO 68 dated 6 March 2013 in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
“In view of the increased use of Cool Lip by school-going children and its potential health implications, it is expedient to prohibit this item in Kargil District,” the order reads.
Invoking powers under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSAI), 2006, the cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), and Section 163 of BNSS, the District Magistrate has enforced the ban with immediate effect and until further orders. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Kargil and the Chief Education Officer, Kargil have been directed to ensure the strict enforcement of this ban.
This preventive measure is being hailed as a proactive initiative to curb early exposure to harmful substances, particularly among vulnerable youth, and to reinforce public health standards in the district.
