Gutka

Gutka street vendor, India

Gutka or Guṭkha is a preparation of crushed areca nut, tobacco, catechu, paraffin wax, slaked lime and sweet or savory flavorings.[1] It is manufactured in India and exported to a few other countries. A mild stimulant, it is sold across India in small, individual-sized packets that cost between 2 and 10 rupees (around 3 to 15 cents) per packet. Gutka is consumed by placing a pinch of it between the gum and cheek and gently sucking and chewing.[2] It is considered responsible for oral cancer and other severe negative health effects.[1] As with paan and other smokeless tobacco products, there are preventive efforts to encourage users to quit and young people not to start.

Characteristics

Gutka is a powdery, granular, light brownish to white substance. Within moments of chewing mixing with saliva, the gutkha begins to dissolve and turn deep red in color. It may impart upon its user a "buzz" somewhat more intense than that of tobacco chewing, snuffing and smoking.

Effects

Highly addictive and a known carcinogen, gutkha is the subject of much controversy in India. Many states have sought to curb its immense popularity by taxing sales of gutkha heavily or by banning it outright.[3]

Excessive gutkha use can eventually lead to loss of appetite, promote unusual sleep patterns, and loss of concentration along with other tobacco-related problems. A gutkha user can easily be identified by prominently stained teeth ranging from dirty yellowish-orange to reddish-black. The stains are difficult to remove by normal brushing and usually need the attention of a dentist . After gutkha is consumed, it is generally spat onto a wall or at the ground, causing an unsightly red stain that is quite resistant to the elements. Some building owners have taken to combating this unpleasantness by painting murals of Gods on their walls, with the idea that gutkha chewers would not spit on a God.[4]

Gutka, a combination of arecanut, slaked lime, paraffin and katechu along with tobacco, is virtually poison. Promoted as a mouth freshener, this mixture is a combination of 4,000 chemicals of which at least 40 are carcinogenic compounds, say doctors.

People get addicted to it as gutka is reported to have stimulant and relaxation effects. While most consumers believe that the blend is not harmful, doctors, especially oncologists, say consumption of gutka is more harmful than any other form of tobacco.

This is because when a person chews gutka, the mixture directly enters the system through the oral cavity. In the case of smoking, 20 per cent of the harmful chemicals reach the lungs and 80 per cent is exhaled.

With more than 4,000 carcinogenic chemicals in it, gutka has compounds of nitorsamines, arsenic, benzopyrenes, several pesticides apart from chemicals closely associated with chlorine and ammonium compounds, says Jagannath Dixit, consultant, surgical oncologist at HCG Cancer Care Centre. Gutka also contains carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and hydrocarbons. Welcoming the government’s decision to ban gutka, Dr. Dixit says it is more dangerous than beedis. It can cause non-healing ulcerative lesions in parts of the oral cavity such as cheek, lips, tongue, hard palate, floor of the mouth and soft palate. It can also affect the food pipe, voice box and kidney, Dr. Dixit says.

Nanjundappa, Professor of Head and Neck Oncology at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, says people commonly develop non-cancerous conditions like bronchial asthma, hypertension, heart disease and also stroke.

While narrowing of the blood vessels can cause gangrene, stoppage of blood supply in extreme cases can cause stroke. In women, consumption of gutka during pregnancy can result in low birth weight babies, he says.

“Overall, people can develop cancers of mouth, throat, lung and oesophagus; heart disease and related ailments. While most youngsters get easily addicted to it, women are in the habit of chewing tobacco or even inhaling snuff, which is even more harmful,” adds Dr. Nanjundappa.[5]

Usage

Gutkha use can begin at a very young age. Due to its often flavorful taste, easy availability and low price, it is popular with poor children, who can exhibit precancerous lesions at a very early age as a result. Symptoms of cancer often appear by high school or college age. Social custom does not permit children in India to smoke cigarettes, so gutkha use, being all but invisible to others, is the method of choice. Gutkha is also used by many as an alternative to cigarettes and is claimed to curb the need to smoke, but eventually becomes another habit tough to quit. Gutkha also causes swallowing problems during night time sleeping leading to dry throat and restless sleep. This may eventually lead to throat cancer in users.. In 2008, about 5 million children under 15 were addicted to gutkha. A survey in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh found precursors of mouth cancers in 16% of the children.[6] [7][8] According to the 2009-2010 survey by Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 53.5% of Indians use tobacco products (66.2% of men and 40% of women). Tobacco and gutka chewing makes up the majority of those figures with 48.07% of Indians using them, while bidi and cigarette smokers make up 8.4% and 5.9% of the population respectively.[9]

Ban

India

Many states of India have banned the sale, manufacture, distribution and storage of gutka and all its variants. As of May 2013, gutka is banned in 24 states and 3 union territories.[10] The federal Food Safety and Regulation (Prohibition) Act 2011 allows harmful products such as gutka to be banned for a year. This can be renewed annually, resulting in a permanent ban. The ban is enforced by the state public health ministry, the state Food and Drug Administration, and the local police.[11] Enforcement of the law is generally lax and many shops still sell gutka, although it may not be displayed.[12][13][14][15][16] Enforcemnent is stricter in some regions like Mumbai and Delhi, but illegal sale of gutka still occurs.[17]

Offenders can be fined or receive prison sentences.[18] The law has provisions of imposing fines up to ₹ 25000 on selling of products that are injurious to health.[19]

State Date of Ban Remarks Ref.
Andaman and Nicobar 1 November 2012 [20]
Andhra Pradesh 9 January 2013 [21]
Arunachal Pradesh [22]
Assam March 2013 [23][24]
Bihar 30 May 2012[25] The law was upheld by the Patna High Court. [26]
Chandigarh [27]
Chhattisgarh 24 July 2012 [28]
Delhi 11 September 2012 On 12 October 2012, the Delhi High Court refused to lift ban in response to a plea by a city-based gutka manufacturer. [29][30][31][32]
Goa 2 October 2005 [33]
Gujarat 11 September 2012[34][35] 100% export-oriented units are exempt from the ban. [36]
Himachal Pradesh 13 July 2012 [37]
Haryana 15 August 2012 [38]
Jharkhand 24 July 2012 [39][40]
Kerala 25 May 2012[41] On 2 August 2012, Kerala High Court declined to stay the ban. [42]
Karnataka 31 May 2013 [43]
Madhya Pradesh 1 April 2012[44] The law was upheld by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. [45]
Maharashtra 20 July 2012[46] Previous bans on gutka on 1 August 2002 and again in 2008 were overturned by the Supreme Court on the grounds of unfair trade practice.[47][48] The most recent ban was upheld by the Bombay High Court on 15 September 2012.[49]
Manipur [22][50]
Mizoram 2012 [51][52][53][54]
Nagaland [27]
Odisha 1 January 2013 [55][56][57]
Punjab 26 August 2012 [58]
Rajasthan 18 July 2012 [59][60]
Sikkim 17 September 2012 [61]
Tamil Nadu 8 May 2013 [62]
Uttar Pradesh 1 April 2013 [63]
Uttarakhand 1 January 2013 [64]
West Bengal 1 May 2013 [65][66]

Research firm Edelweiss estimates the gutka ban will cause the industry ₹ 15-20 billion in losses.[67]

Advertising

Like alcohol and tobacco products, there is a ban on advertisement of gutka. Often tobacco companies advertise gutka as pan masala in order to skirt the ban on advertising tobacco products. Surrogate advertisements often use pan masala ads to promote gutka products with similar name and packaging.[68]

According to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011 of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, misleading advertisement of such products invites a fine of ₹ 1,000,000.[69]

Notes

  1. 1 2 "CPAA: Quit Smoking Campaign, Anti Tobacco & Quit Smoking Campaign". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "CDC - Fact Sheet - Betel Quid with Tobacco (Gutka) - Smoking & Tobacco Use". Smoking and Tobacco Use. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "MP becomes 1st state to ban Gutka products containing tobacco". Hindustan Times. 4 April 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Bhattasali, Amitabha (23 November 2011). "Scheme to save Calcutta's Howrah Bridge from spit". BBC News. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  5. ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/gutka-more-harmful-than-other-forms-of-tobacco/article4769653.ece
  6. ↑ "Kids getting addicted to tobacco". The Times of India. 17 January 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  7. ↑ Waldman, Amy (13 August 2002). "Sweet But Deadly addiction is seizing the young in India". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "Harmful effects of chewing tobacco: Gutkha". Cigarette-store.org. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  9. ↑ "Use of tobacco products to invite deterrent tax: Modi". Hindustan Times. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  10. ↑ "Cancer centres urge PM to ban gutka across India". DNA India. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  11. ↑ "Govt to file caveat in HC today on gutka, paan masala ban". The Times of India. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  12. ↑ "Why the gutka ban in Maharashtra won’t work". 13 July 2012.
  13. ↑ Praveen, M. P. (16 June 2012). "Sale of pan masala thriving". The Hindu (Chennai, India).
  14. ↑ "What ban? Gutka still sells". The Times of India. 18 June 2012.
  15. ↑ "Gutka ban not satisfactory, admits minister". The Times of India. 20 January 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Gutka continues to rustle undercover despite ban". The Times of India. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  17. ↑ "Indians want their fix of gutkha & pan masala despite ban". Business Standard. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  18. ↑ Masand, Pratibha (13 July 2012). "Ban implementation may take few weeks". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  19. ↑ "Himachal bans sale of Gutka, Pan Masala, Masheri & Khaini". Hill Post. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  20. ↑ "Administration imposes complete ban on ‘gutka’". Andaman Sheekha. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  21. ↑ "Andhra Pradesh orders ban on manufacture, sale of gutka". Deccan Chronicle. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  22. 1 2 "Tripura, Meghalaya to ban gutka, pan masala". The Times of India. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  23. ↑ Singh, Bikash (8 March 2013). "Gutka, pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine banned in Assam". Economic Times. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  24. ↑ "Assam govt imposes ban on gutkha". Indian Express. 9 March 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  25. ↑ Bhatia, Banjot Kaur (31 May 2012). "World No Tobacco Day: Bihar govt bans gutkha, pan masala for 1 year". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  26. ↑ Archived 14 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  27. 1 2 "PIL seeks ban on tobacco, gutka in J&K". Kashmir Times. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  28. ↑ "The Government of Chhattisgarh banned Gutka and Pan Masala". Jagran Josh. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  29. ↑ "HC refuses to lift gutka ban". The Times of India. 13 October 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  30. ↑ Perappadan, Bindu Shajan (11 September 2012). "Delhi decides to ban gutka". The Hindu (Chennai, India). Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  31. ↑ "Delhi bans gutka following High Court orders". IBN Live. 11 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  32. ↑ "Delhi government slaps ban on all gutka products". The Times of India. 11 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  33. ↑ "Goa to ban gutka consumption". Economic Times. 27 September 2005. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  34. ↑ "Gutka to be banned in Gujarat from 11 September: Narendra Modi". Indian Express. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  35. ↑ "Gutka to be banned in Gujarat from 11 Sept.: Modi". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 15 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  36. ↑ "Gutkha ban: Lone unit exempted". Financial Express. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  37. ↑ "Himachal govt bans Gutka, pan masala products". Zee News. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  38. ↑ "Haryana to ban food items having tobacco". The Times of India. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  39. ↑ "Jharkhand bans production, sale of gutka/panmasala". MSN News. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  40. ↑ "Jharkhand bans sale, manufacturing of gutka". Firstpost. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  41. ↑ Mathew, Roy (25 May 2012). "Kerala bans pan masala and its variants". The Hindu (Chennai, India). Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  42. ↑ "HC refuses to stay ban on pan masala". 2 August 2012.
  43. ↑ "Karnataka to ban gutka on 'World No Tobacco Day'". The Times of India. 30 May 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  44. ↑ "Madhya Pradesh bans gutkha and other chewing tobacco products". Down To Earth. 3 April 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  45. ↑ Tripathi, Ashish (18 September 2012). "'Ban gutka or we will', High court tells Akhilesh Yadav government". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  46. ↑ "Ban Day 1: FDA set to root out gutka". The Times of India. 21 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  47. ↑ "Maharashtra bans gutka, paan m". The Times of India. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  48. ↑ Deshpande, Swati (14 July 2012). "‘Current ban on stronger footing than in 2002’". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  49. ↑ "Bombay High Court upholds ban on gutka, pan masala in Maharashtra". NDTV.com. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  50. ↑ "Tripura, Meghalaya take initiative to ban gutka and pan masala". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  51. ↑ "Mizoram bans gutkha products". Indian Express. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  52. ↑ "Mizoram bans gutkha products". Zee News. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  53. ↑ Press Trust of India (18 October 2012). "Mizoram bans gutkha products". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  54. ↑ "Call to replicate Mizoram ban in State". The Assam Tribune. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  55. ↑ "Odisha rings in 2013 with gutka ban - The Times of India". indiatimes.com. 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013. The state government on Tuesday announced a ban on the sale and manufacture of gutka and paan masala.
  56. ↑ "Business Line : News / States : Odisha bans gutkha, tobacco sale". thehindubusinessline.com. 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013. The Odisha Government on Tuesday announced a State-wide ban on the manufacture, sale and use of gutkha and chewing tobacco containing nicotine.
  57. ↑ "Briefly Nation: Orissa bans use of gutkha - Indian Express". indianexpress.com. 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013. Orissa government on Tuesday announced a state-wide ban on the manufacture, sale and use of gutkha and chewing tobacco containing nicotine.
  58. ↑ "Punjab bans sale of gutka, pan masala". News.webindia123.com. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  59. ↑ "Rajasthan government decides to ban Gutkha". Zee News. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  60. ↑ "Rajasthan government decides to ban Gutkha". India TV News. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  61. ↑ "Sikkim bans gutkha". DownToEarth. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  62. ↑ "TN bans pan masala, gutka". The Hindu. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  63. ↑ "After HC order, UP to ban gutka from April 1 next year, 2013". The Times of India. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  64. ↑ "Uttarakhand gutka ban now from January 1". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 21 October 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  65. ↑ "Finally, state orders ban on gutka". The Times of India. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  66. ↑ http://www.wbhealth.gov.in/go/cfs146.pdf
  67. ↑ Chandramouli, Rajesh (14 September 2012). "Gutka ban loss could be Rs 1500 - Rs 2000 crores". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  68. ↑ "‘Ban surrogate advertisements of tobacco products’". 20 June 2012.
  69. ↑ "No relaxation on gutka ban - The Times of India". The Times of India.

References

External links

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