Overview

• A viral video showing red paan and gutkha stains in Rayners Lane and North Harrow prompted an enforcement ramp-up
• In July Harrow Council issued 33 fines under its Public Spaces Protection Order and confiscated over 4,000 packs of illegal chewing tobacco
• Council officers have refreshed the borough’s Paan Action Plan and warned paan shops to keep their premises clean or face penalties
• Residents have launched petitions against new paan outlets and are calling for tighter regulations on chewing tobacco sales
• Health experts warn that gutkha consumption carries a high oral cancer risk in addition to its impact on public hygiene