With due respect, I wish to draw kind attention of the concerned authority and general public through your esteemed daily, towards increasing incidents of youth suffering with oral health diseases and cancers. This epidemic is the result of rampant use of Tobacco, pan masala and Areca nut (supari) in different forms.
Tobacco industry has been instrumental in spreading the tobacco epidemic globally through aggressive marketing campaigns. It is the only industry that kills its 5.4 million loyal customers every year.
To protect the general populace from harmful effects of tobacco use, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 was enacted in India. Section 5 of COTPA prohibits all forms of TAPS (Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship). Despite the existence of TAPS ban in India, exposure to tobacco advertising and promotion is still prevalent.
Even pan masala brands marketed as “tobacco-free” contain high levels of nicotine, as revealed by a study commissioned by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, govt. of India. The laboratory analysis of randomly picked pan masala brand samples by the Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI), Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh has revealed that Rajnigandha pan masala contains 2.26 gm of nicotine per 100 gm of pan masala. This was actually more than Goa 1000 Gutkha brand, which was found to have 2.04 gm of nicotine per 100 gm of the product. Manikchand’s Gutkha RMD contained 1.88 gm nicotine per 100 gm of the smokeless product.
Supari (betel nut or areca nut) is a confirmed cancer causing substances and leads to many other diseases. The epidemic of mouth cancer cannot be curtailed without a comprehensive prohibition of tobacco advertising, promotion and selling these lethal products freely as packaged mouth fresheners.
I sincerely hope that you will use your good offices to prevent premature deaths in our state by strict implementation of section 2.3.4 of Food safety and standards (prohibition and restrictions on sales) regulation 2011 to ban all flavored and packaged smokeless tobacco product across country. Please prohibit the packaged and misleading areca nut preparation in the form of pan Masala, Supari Mix etc.
I hope civic authorities and civilized people will pay heed to my prayer.
Dr. Temjennungsang Longchari
Post Graduate in Health
Promotion and Tobacco Control (PHFI, Delhi) President
Indian Dental Association (Nagaland State Branch)
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