Overview
- Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar warned on Sunday that he will seek a state ban on pan masala, gutka and related chewable products if verification shows they contain intoxicating or narcotic substances.
- The threat is conditional pending tests and verification rather than a current statewide ban, and no laboratory-confirmed findings were announced in the chief minister’s remarks.
- Karnataka said it will crack down on manufacturers found adding intoxicants and enforce anti-drug measures across educational institutions to protect students.
- The state pointed to its 2025 Anti-Narcotic Task Force as the enforcement lead and urged students and healthcare professionals to act as anti-drug ambassadors in the public-health campaign.
- Shivakumar argued that porous national borders undermine state efforts and called for stronger central border security to stop trafficking that can overwhelm local enforcement.