Are cigarettes banned in Bengaluru? New tobacco-nicotine law in Karnataka explained

On 15 June 2026, Karnataka's Commissioner of Food Safety issued a government notification under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety Act, which came into effect on 10 August 2026. The notification prohibits the manufacture, storage, distribution, and sale of specific items, including gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine.

Additionally, it targets sellers who market banned products separately but designed for consumer mixing, banning these items as well. The aim is to prevent sellers from deviously splitting banned products.

This regulation applies to the entire state of Karnataka and remains effective for one year from its issuance. A press note dated 12 August 2026 confirmed ongoing enforcement drives against tobacco-containing products, but the legal order remains focused specifically on gutkha and pan masala.

Many people are wondering if cigarettes are banned in Karnataka. However, cigarettes are not banned under this notification. Cigarettes are regulated under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), a central law enacted in 2003, not a state food safety measure. Cigarettes are classified as smoked products, placing them under a separate regulatory framework from chewable products like gutkha and pan masala.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare administers COTPA nationally, with enforcement handled locally through State and District Tobacco Control Cells. In Karnataka, the Health and Family Welfare Department specifically manages this. Therefore, while gutkha, pan masala, and similar mixable tobacco products are banned, cigarettes remain legal in Karnataka with no new restrictions on their sales.

A minor point of clarification is that loose tobacco sold for hand-rolling may fall under the "separate mixing" clause, but this interpretation has not been officially confirmed.