Gutkha is a highly addictive and toxic product, owing to the amount of
nicotine and tobacco content in it. India currently has the highest
number of oral cancer cases in the world. The areca nut or betel nut
used in the preparation of gutkha is a serious health hazard and a known
carcinogenic substance. Areca nut is consumed widely in India in the
form of paan or supari under the mistaken belief that it is actually a
mouth freshener, stress reliever or that it aids in digestion.
Areca nut, just like tobacco is a psycho stimulant and an addictive substance. Areca nut is in fact estimated to be the fourth most common addictive substance (after tobacco, alcohol and caffeine). The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer lists areca nut as a Group-I carcinogen. Even without adding tobacco, areca nut chewing is known to cause cancers of the larynx, stomach, lung and cervix in humans. Apart from cancer, areca nut addiction has also been found to be cause of heart attacks, arrhythmia, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Children born to mothers who habitually chew areca nut are seen to be smaller in size and usually have withdrawal syndrome.
Apart from containing areca nut, gutkha contains several toxic and harmful chemicals such as Eugenol, N-Nitrosamines, Sodium Carbonate, Ammonium Carbonate, Ammonia, etc. Apart from these, they contain high levels of heavy metals such as lead, arsenic that cause cancer, organ failure and various nervous diseases.
The Indian Institute of Environmental Medicine estimates that on an average, tobacco contains at least 19 known carcinogens and at least 30 metallic compounds comprising of heavy metals. Further, the Cancer Tobacco Research Institute (affiliate of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research) estimates that the popular brands of gutkha and pan masala such as Manikchand, Rajnigandha, Chaini Khaini, etc. all contain nicotine and gives the percentage of nicotine content in the various brands of gutkha and pan masalas available.
Gutkha or chewing tobacco is a known carcinogen and it is known to cause oral cancer and cancer of the esophagus, pharynx, larynx, stomach, and pancreas. Apart from cancer, tobacco also results in various health problems such as Gum Disease, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Hypertension, Peptic Ulcer Disease, and Coronary Artery Disease.
Health hazards of Gutkha
1. It is estimated that tobacco results in the death of over 10 lakh Indians a year. Further, around 75,000 to 80,000 new cases of oral cancer annually is registered in India and this creates a huge strain on the public and private health care system. India currently has the highest number of oral cancer cases in the world.
2. Apart from cancer, tobacco results in various health problems such as Gum Disease, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Hypertension, Peptic Ulcer Disease and Coronary Artery Disease.
3. Gutkha leads to Oral sub-mucous fibrosis (SMF), a pre-cancerous disease that is a first step to cancer. This has increased 20 to 30 times across the country. It also leads to throat, esophageal cancers.
4. Loss of appetite
5. Pregnant women in India who used gutka had a threefold increased risk of having a low birth weight infant.
Indian Scenario
According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India, the estimated number of tobacco users in India is 274.9 million of which 25.9% are users of smokeless tobacco while 5.7% are cigarette smokers and 9.2% smoke bidi. This reveals that more Indians (almost 75%) consume smokeless forms of tobacco that includes pan, gutka, pan masala and khaini, mawa. Slowly and gradually the use of chewing tobacco is reaching at dangerously endemic levels in the country with 8% of all adults in the country chewing gutka.
India has the highest prevalence of oral cancer globally, with 75, 000 to 80, 000 new cases of oral cancers being reported every year. Nearly 80% of all oral cancer cases are due to the consumption of tobacco products like Gutka, pan masala, betel quid with tobacco and khaini. According to a study released in March 2012, by Tata Memorial Hospital, about 1.2 lakh deaths in 2010 occurred due to tobacco alone and most number of deaths--nearly 84,000 in men and 36,000 in women were from oral cancer due to smokeless tobacco.
India spends approximately Rs 300 billion annually in both public and private spending on treatment of tobacco related illness, accounting for roughly one fourth of all health spending. According to the WHO, the total economic cost of tobacco use in India for 2004 amounted to $1.7 billion, which is 16 percent more than the total excise tax revenues collected from all tobacco products in India in the financial year 2003-04 ($1.46 billion).
The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2009 – 10 released by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) conveys that about (26.6%) population of Jammu & Kashmir is using tobacco product in one or the other of its form. Jammu & Kashmir has 8.0% use smokeless tobacco, 12% cigarette smokers and 3.8% bidi smokers.
Considering the health hazards related to chewing tobacco, which causes mouth, throat cancer, 14 Indian states Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Gujarat, Mizoram, Delhi have banned gutka.
These 14 states have banned the sale, manufacture and distribution of gutka, khaini, pan masala containing tobacco, based on the regulation issued on 1 August 2011 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the health ministry to handle food related issues. According to the rule 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, “product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health: Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products”.
With 13 states & 1 Union Territory announcing the ban on gutka and pan masala containg tobacco/nictotine, the bans have impacted about 38 million gutka users across the country. The % usage is based on Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2010 and the population numbers are based on 2011 census.
The author is Media Officer, Tobacco Control, Voluntary Health Association of India
Areca nut, just like tobacco is a psycho stimulant and an addictive substance. Areca nut is in fact estimated to be the fourth most common addictive substance (after tobacco, alcohol and caffeine). The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer lists areca nut as a Group-I carcinogen. Even without adding tobacco, areca nut chewing is known to cause cancers of the larynx, stomach, lung and cervix in humans. Apart from cancer, areca nut addiction has also been found to be cause of heart attacks, arrhythmia, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Children born to mothers who habitually chew areca nut are seen to be smaller in size and usually have withdrawal syndrome.
Apart from containing areca nut, gutkha contains several toxic and harmful chemicals such as Eugenol, N-Nitrosamines, Sodium Carbonate, Ammonium Carbonate, Ammonia, etc. Apart from these, they contain high levels of heavy metals such as lead, arsenic that cause cancer, organ failure and various nervous diseases.
The Indian Institute of Environmental Medicine estimates that on an average, tobacco contains at least 19 known carcinogens and at least 30 metallic compounds comprising of heavy metals. Further, the Cancer Tobacco Research Institute (affiliate of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research) estimates that the popular brands of gutkha and pan masala such as Manikchand, Rajnigandha, Chaini Khaini, etc. all contain nicotine and gives the percentage of nicotine content in the various brands of gutkha and pan masalas available.
Gutkha or chewing tobacco is a known carcinogen and it is known to cause oral cancer and cancer of the esophagus, pharynx, larynx, stomach, and pancreas. Apart from cancer, tobacco also results in various health problems such as Gum Disease, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Hypertension, Peptic Ulcer Disease, and Coronary Artery Disease.
Health hazards of Gutkha
1. It is estimated that tobacco results in the death of over 10 lakh Indians a year. Further, around 75,000 to 80,000 new cases of oral cancer annually is registered in India and this creates a huge strain on the public and private health care system. India currently has the highest number of oral cancer cases in the world.
2. Apart from cancer, tobacco results in various health problems such as Gum Disease, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Hypertension, Peptic Ulcer Disease and Coronary Artery Disease.
3. Gutkha leads to Oral sub-mucous fibrosis (SMF), a pre-cancerous disease that is a first step to cancer. This has increased 20 to 30 times across the country. It also leads to throat, esophageal cancers.
4. Loss of appetite
5. Pregnant women in India who used gutka had a threefold increased risk of having a low birth weight infant.
Indian Scenario
According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India, the estimated number of tobacco users in India is 274.9 million of which 25.9% are users of smokeless tobacco while 5.7% are cigarette smokers and 9.2% smoke bidi. This reveals that more Indians (almost 75%) consume smokeless forms of tobacco that includes pan, gutka, pan masala and khaini, mawa. Slowly and gradually the use of chewing tobacco is reaching at dangerously endemic levels in the country with 8% of all adults in the country chewing gutka.
India has the highest prevalence of oral cancer globally, with 75, 000 to 80, 000 new cases of oral cancers being reported every year. Nearly 80% of all oral cancer cases are due to the consumption of tobacco products like Gutka, pan masala, betel quid with tobacco and khaini. According to a study released in March 2012, by Tata Memorial Hospital, about 1.2 lakh deaths in 2010 occurred due to tobacco alone and most number of deaths--nearly 84,000 in men and 36,000 in women were from oral cancer due to smokeless tobacco.
India spends approximately Rs 300 billion annually in both public and private spending on treatment of tobacco related illness, accounting for roughly one fourth of all health spending. According to the WHO, the total economic cost of tobacco use in India for 2004 amounted to $1.7 billion, which is 16 percent more than the total excise tax revenues collected from all tobacco products in India in the financial year 2003-04 ($1.46 billion).
The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2009 – 10 released by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) conveys that about (26.6%) population of Jammu & Kashmir is using tobacco product in one or the other of its form. Jammu & Kashmir has 8.0% use smokeless tobacco, 12% cigarette smokers and 3.8% bidi smokers.
Considering the health hazards related to chewing tobacco, which causes mouth, throat cancer, 14 Indian states Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Gujarat, Mizoram, Delhi have banned gutka.
These 14 states have banned the sale, manufacture and distribution of gutka, khaini, pan masala containing tobacco, based on the regulation issued on 1 August 2011 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the health ministry to handle food related issues. According to the rule 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, “product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health: Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products”.
With 13 states & 1 Union Territory announcing the ban on gutka and pan masala containg tobacco/nictotine, the bans have impacted about 38 million gutka users across the country. The % usage is based on Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2010 and the population numbers are based on 2011 census.
The author is Media Officer, Tobacco Control, Voluntary Health Association of India
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