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Pan masala and Gutkha banned in Assam: Know the risks of tobacco use

Pan masala and Gutkha banned in Assam: Know the risks of tobacco use
According to the Assam government, a majority of the population in the state are addicted to tobacco use, with more than 30 per cent of even non-smokers exposed to passive smoking. ©Getty Images

On November 28, 2019, the Assam government banned the sale and manufacture of pan masala and Gutkha in the state for one year. Know the reasons why the state government had to take this step.

Written by Editorial Team |Published : November 28, 2019 7:02 PM IST

After years of struggle by charity organisations and NGOs, the BJP-led government in Assam has finally enforced a ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, transportation, display and distribution of food articles that contain non-smoking tobacco. This news comes after the government had already banned e-cigarettes in the whole country just this week. Along with a bill to stop import of pan masala and Gutkha from other states, the government has imposed bans and fines on chewing tobacco in public places. Any person selling tobacco products to minors or within a 100-yard radius of any educational institutions would be imprisoned for 1-2 years.

According to reports by various fact-finding agencies in India, only 0.07 per cent of tobacco in India is presnt in E-cigarettes. The rest is available as non-smoking products like pan masala and Gutkha. According to the Assam government, tobacco addiction is there in the majority of the population in the state.

CHEWING TOBACCO: KNOW THE RISKS

If you think chewing tobacco is safer than smoking cigarettes, you are wrong. The risks involved in non-smoking tobacco products like pan masala and gutkha are the same as smoking products. There are no harmless tobacco containing products. Chewing tobacco is often wrapped in leaves in a brick like shape, you can swallow it hole like mint pan or open it, take out the tobacco and place it between your cheek and gum. All tobacco products contain nicotine, which is a chemical that makes the product dangerous and addictive. Nicotine is a cancer-causing agent.

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Here are some of the health risks of chewing tobacco.

Cancer

The use of chewing tobacco and other smokeless tobacco products can increase the risk of oral cancers. This includes mouth, throat, cheek, gums, lips or tongue cancers. There's also a risk of cancer of the pancreas and oesophagus. This happens because saliva mixed with nicotine builds up in the mouth because of tobacco, which is either spit out or swallowed.

Pre-cancerous mouth lesions

Pre-cancerous mouth lesions mean small white patches in the mouth that could one day become cancerous. Chewing tobacco increases the risk of developing these lesions inside the mouth.

Dental disease

Smokeless tobacco products contain nicotine and lots of sugar for taste. This can cause cavities, abrasion of teeth, teeth staining, bad breath, gum disease, receding gums, bone loss around the roots and tooth loss.

Risks for pregnant women

A Lancet study had underlined that the use of smokeless tobacco, including Swedish snus, by pregnant women can increase the risk of stillbirths, low birth weight and heart rate variability in infants by 210 per cent.

Poisoning risk in children

It is easy to mistake candy for smokeless tobacco because of their appearance. So, there is a risk of nicotine poisoning in children. Symptoms of nicotine poisoning include nausea, vomiting, weakness, convulsions, unresponsiveness and trouble breathing. Take your child to an ER as soon as you see notice these symptoms.