Three main reasons for tobacco addiction:
- Tobacco chewing leads to smokeless cancer.It is consumed in form like pan,khaini,gutkha tobacco powder(Misri) etc.Thus they are available in variety of form.
- Precursor of oral cancer is seen mostly in age group of 20-30.People get this habbit of chewing tobacco at a very early age when they have no idea it may effect them. They are completely unaware of ill-effects.Seen elder using these stuff,these introduce the habit, with the first introduction often being given at by an elder who is unaware of the dangers he is exposing the child to.
- These stuff are available at very low cost of 3 to 10 Rs.Parents educate them and offer no help in kicking this habit.Mostly they see people using it.However,the money required is somehow given by parents.Believing,parents don't know these habbit they give money.In most house parents become aware very late,before the child has learned to robe,or become completely addicted by living in bad company.
Studies:
According to WHO Country profiles, India has one of the highest rates of oral cancer in the world and rates are still increasing. Oral cancer accounts for one-third of the total cancer cases and 90% of the patients are tobacco chewers. This includes all class of society.
Only 20% of the total tobacco consumed in India is in the form of cigarettes, about 40% is in the form of bidis and the remaining 40% is consumed as chewing tobacco, pan masala, snuff, gutkha, masheri and tobacco toothpaste. These products contain putrefied tobacco, paraffin, areca nut, lime, catechu, and 230 permitted additives and flavours including known carcinogens.
WHO reports suggest that 65% of all Indian men use at least one form of tobacco. For women, the usage statistics differed from 15% in rural Gujarat to 67% in Andhra Pradesh, the overall prevalence being 3% for bidi and cigarette smoking. What is alarming is that fully one third of all women use at least one form of tobacco and in Mumbai, 57.5% of women use tobacco but solely in the smokeless form.
Prevention:
- Mostly children of age group from 12-14,i.e exactly when they are in 8th,9th and 10th are likely to get this habit.This is when they need to be targeted.They should be educated rigorously against these stuff.It is this time.It's NOW OR NEVER.
- Parents should also be educated in schools with children against oral cancer.
- Those who have these habit along with parents should be treated against them.
- The worst part is education.If someone have seen the suffering,he will never opt one for himself.They will feel self shame,when they are properly educated.
Those addicted should atleast be made to brush their teeth every time they consume one and before sleeping so that the remnants of the tobacco do not attack the buccal linings overnight and to watch for patches which can be the first sign of cancer.
As early bird catches the worm first,similarly early consumption will kill you first.On otherhand early education will prevent first consumption of tobacco.
External link;
Anti guthka campaign
Wikipedia-Gutka
