Gutkha and Pan Masala
Scientists at Tata Memorial Center’s Advanced Center for Treatment, Research and Education have conducted research on tobacco products available in the Mumbai area.
More Deaths Than Road Accidents
Gutkha and paan masala pouches hanging from small roadside shops not only pollute the roads but also clog the drains. Now a new research reveals that gutkha and pan masala are like nicotine bombs, causing more deaths than road accidents. Even though common citizens know about it, they risk their lives just for addiction.
Aggressive Marketing and Public Health Concerns
Scientists at Tata Memorial Center’s Advanced Center for Treatment, Research and Education have conducted research on smokeless tobacco products available in the Mumbai area. They tested 321 samples from 57 different brands. It was later found that most contained dangerous carcinogens. These include products like plain tobacco, khaini, gutkha, pan masala, mishri, gul, creamy snuff and dry snuff.
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According to experts, advertisements of tobacco products like pan masala, chaini are shown the most.
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On one hand we are trying to make cancer free, but on the other hand these advertisements influence people’s minds and encourage them to eat those foods.
Harmful to health
Pan masala shown on TV channels is often sold as a mouth freshener. Which is branded by big movie stars, actors, but also contains harmful substances like betel nut, lime, katha and sometimes nicotine, which causes addiction. Apart from this, they are also hazardous to health. On the other hand, pan masala does not always contain tobacco, but is usually eaten with tobacco. It also increases the risk of serious diseases like oral cancer, gum disease.
A cause for concern…
Tobacco and pan masala advertisements are a major public health concern, as they indirectly promote the use of tobacco products. Although health experts advise against eating pan masala, common citizens ignore it. This can lead to serious health problems such as cancer and oral submucous fibrosis, which can be fatal.
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