Walia says that a state ban would be futile as gutka and pan masala are manufactured in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and a ban would not stop manufacturers from smuggling these into Delhi.

He said an all-India ban was the only answer. Widespread addiction to gutka has led to a rise in the incidence of oral cancer, the minister pointed out.

Delhi Medical Association president S.K. Sachdeva has said that proposals to ban gutka are never going to bear fruit and if they did, people would still use smuggled tobacco.

He said that the Delhi government should instead enforce a ban on smoking in public places. ``Is there any agency that people can call contact in case they want to complain about smoking in public places,'' he asked.