Many people defend their use of smokeless tobacco with the excuse that they’re not inhaling smoke, hence their heart and lungs will not be ravaged. If you think chewing tobacco is safer and less addictive than smoking cigarettes you couldn’t be more wrong. Make no mistake, when it comes to tobacco products, no matter how they are used, there is no safe level.
In fact, ingesting tobacco is just as hazardous to health as lighting up. According to doctors, chewable tobacco is fast turning into a major threat in India. Those who ingest tobacco are at a higher risk of developing oral or head and neck cancer. Statistics from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) reveal that nearly 11 lakh people are affected by some form of malignancy every year and nearly 80% of head and neck cancers are due to their tobacco habits.
Dr. Alok Thakar, professor of head-neck-surgery and otorhinolaryngology at the AIIMS stated, “Head and neck cancers are emerging as the major killers now, and if the sale and consumption of chewable tobacco like beedi-khaini, tambaku, gutka, and zarda are not regulated, it will increase the country’s health burden dramatically.
“27 percent male population is affected by head-neck cancer while its incidence is 10-12 percent in women. In foreign countries, lung cancer is more prevalent, as people smoke more tobacco than chew it, unlike in India, where every nook and cranny sell chewable tobacco in the open.”
In a bid to address this worrisome trend, over 700 experts from nearly 15 countries have gathered in the capital for a four-day global conference on head-neck cancer, organised by International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS) and Foundation for Head-Neck Oncology (FHNO).
While discussing the various aspects of the tobacco industry, the panelists urged the central government to increase taxes on tobacco products to slash consumption. Also, they emphasized the need to take steps for removal of tobacco and cigarette vendors from around school and college premises to curb youngsters from imbibing the habit of chewing tobacco.
Dr. Anil D’Cruz, Director of Mumbai-based Tata Memorial Centre disclosed that the youngest addict he has treated for cancer was an 8-year-old boy, who had been chewing tobacco since he was four.
Dr. D’Cruz stated, “Tobacco consumption has begun in schools and so it is important that law is properly enforced and tobacco and cigarette vendors found violating the stipulated minimum distance rule should be removed”.
He added, “After increasing tax burden on cigarettes, its consumption has gone down. Tax serves as a major deterrent, and therefore, we hope the government will increase the tax on it.”
