Gutka

Gutka, a dangerous new form of chewing tobacco, is a concentrated blend of tobacco and flavorings developed by tobacco companies. More addictive than cigarettes, Gutka has become very popular in India where less is known about the risks of oral cancer. Here are a few frightening facts.

Fast Facts

Fact # 1: If you have been eating Gutka for a year or more you are already on the way to contracting cancer. It is in your cells even though not detectable by modern methods.

Fact # 2: If you are showing any signs of weakness, fatigue, emotional stress, sinusitis, depression, asthma, throat / mouth itching or sore gums, know that, deep inside, you already have it

Fact # 3: Gutka is dried version of traditional Indian paan.

Fact # 4: Hundreds of millions of people in India use gutka

Fact # 5: Doctors say gutka is to blame for oral cancer "epidemic" in India

Fact # 6: India has 75,000 to 80,000 new cases of oral cancer a year

Fact # 7: Gutka use is prevalent among people of lower socioeconomic status

Fact # 8: Sales of gutka are more than $1 billion a year

Fact # 9: A comic, board game, and set of posters have been developed to teach children in India the dangers of gutka use

Gutka Use Among Children

In the last decade gutka use among children in India has risen sharply. Unlike cigarettes, gutka has no negative social connotations and can be easily hidden from parents. Ahmed Maqsood, an Indian gutka seller, says he has had customers as young as six-years-old purchase gutka for their personal use.