The Union government has banned production and sale of correction fluid and bottled thinner used for ink erasing purposes or as nail polish removers.
A copy of the notification in this regard was submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The government has banned production of bottled correction fluid and thinner for retail sale. A notification in this regard was issued on July 17 after the division bench of the high court directed the union health ministry to check the sale of these fluids, as they were being used by street children as intoxicants.
NGO Vyakti Vikas Kendra’s ‘Art of Living’ wing sought complete ban on the sale of typewriter correction fluid, on the grounds that the easily available holding that the same was being used for intoxication by slum children. A PIL in this regard was filed by chairman of the apex body of Punjab and Chandigarh branch of Vyakti vikas Kendra India, Ashok Khanna, prominent theatre personality Neelam Man Singh, Kiran Bedi, and NGO Yuvsatta through Parmod Sharma, Rakesh Sharma and other NGOs.
During proceedings on the PIL, the union ministry of Health and Family Welfare on April 26 stated that since there was no other statutory provision, steps were being taken to ban correction fluid and thinner through a notification. The notification issued on July 17, states that a ban had been imposed on production of fluid and thinner for retail use. Thinner could be used in the form of pens or similar devices, which release limited amount of chemicals.
The reply also stated that it had been made mandatory to publish a warning regarding the side effects of inhalation and consumption of such products on devices like pens.
Earlier, the high court directed the health department to do the needful, but when it was not done, the bench directed authorities to issue a notification. The bench also directed the union secretary, health and family welfare to appear in person if the notification was not issued.
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