Oral Cancer May See a Decline Due to Gutka Ban

Bangalore: The expectation of oral cancer numbers to decrease was high after the ban imposed on gutkha and pan masala in many states in India. The survey conducted by Salaam Bombay Foundation, a non-governmental organization, played a key role in the ban.

The survey interviewed 2,500 respondents, which included gutkha users to find the subsequent result of the ban applied. The programming director of Salaam Bombay Foundation, Devika Chadha, informed that with the ban applied in many states in India, there won’t be any new users of gutkha, pan masala and such products will not be seen in these states. Chadha said, “Obviously, it will help reduce the burden of oral cancer,” as reported by DNA.

The idea people carry in India when it comes to pan masala is that it’s a mixture of arecanut cuttings and food flavours topped with sweeteners. This is claimed to be untrue, it is a product formulated to cause addiction, blended with traditional ingredients and inventive chemicals. It’s sold in small portions and packages and available at low-prices, making it convenient for people to buy. And these products may be promoted as ‘safe’ compared to the option of tobacco smoking or chewing, but it isn’t really safe to consume them.

There are certain varieties of gutkha and pan masala which can be more addictive and harmful than cigarettes. The survey showed that people have shifted to other tobacco products like khaini, bidi and mava since the ban. Chadha said, “We need to now work towards banning these,” as the tobacco products are equally harmful to health.

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