Youth on the verge of
mouth cancer
It has become a
wide-spread habit that the Keralites are using panmasala as their routine for
mouth freshness. They start with these types of addictives for a fun, but later
it becomes an inevitable part in their daily life. Once they use these kinds of mouth
fresheners, it will be very difficult for them to avoid it. The habit is now
becoming a fashion among the school students also. The students are mostly attracted by the
grandeur colour of the packet and the taste of panmasala. They sometimes use it to avoid boredom mainly
due to the inspiration from the friends. It is a usual scene that the students
encircle the shops where pan is sold. Though
the shops place a board that the use of panmasala is illegal below 18 years, no
one cares to implement or enforce this.
The shop owners need only money, so they are not at all bothered about
the customers.
In Kerala, recent
studies have reported that 24 varieties of panmasala are freely available on
the market. Now it is easy for anyone to
get pansmaasala as the price is very low.
So, even a small boy can get it without much difficulty. That may be the reason shy the use of it is
increasing day by day. It has become an
evil, not only to us but also to the coming generations. It is too difficult
for the youngsters to escape from the clutches of panmasala and like such mouth
fresheners. Kerala, the gods own
country, is likely to become devils own country, if this tendency goes on.
According to the
hospital based cancer registry, operating under RCC, 50% of cancers among men
and 16% of cancers among women are tobacco related. These cancers are
preventable. Even thought there was a marginal decline in tobacco related
cancers in last decade, the production and selling of newer tobacco products in
the form of panmasalas have increased the incidence of oral pre-cancer. Among them the dangerous pre-cancer called
Oral Sub Mucus Fibrosis (OSMF), which is mainly attributed to panmasala
consumption. OSMF is an oral pre-cancerous condition which usually affects the
whole of oral cavity. “The patient who has OSMF will often have burning
sensation while eating spicy food, difficulty in opening the mouthy and they
will have restricted movement of tongue. This condition is common among people
chewing betel quid.” says Dr. Gigi Thomas, Assistant professor, Community
Oncology, RCC. The Tata Institute of
Fundamental research says that one out of thirty using panmasala will have
OSMF. RCC and John Hopkins University of
America found that every packet of panmasala contains poisonous substances
which cause cancer. A survey conducted
by RCC and WHO found that, in villages, the use of panmasala is increasing day
by day, by using of it has caused a disastrous effect on human beings.
Panmasala is actually a
tricky term. ‘Pan’ means betel leaves.
But the paradox is that panmasala contains no betel leaves. Panmasala
contains tobacco, areca nut, plant extracts, flavouring gents, volatile
aldehides, nitrosammes, lime etc. Tobacco
and areca nut are very dangerous for the human body. Areca but contains harmful chemicals which
can produce deleterious effects in the human body. When chewed together, areca
nut and tobacco produce synergistic effects which in turn can cause oral
pre-cancer and then to cancer. If left untreated OSMF can develop into oral
cancer within a short period of time. Dr. R.Jayakrishnan, Lecturer, Community
Oncology, RCC, says “In the recent years due to increase in panmasala
consumption among teenagers and young adults, an increase in the incidence of
oral pre-cancer was found in OP clinics at RCC. This in turn is pointing
towards the beginning of major public health problem which will have a great
impact in society, if left unchecked.”
Every businessman knows
that Kerala is the suitable market for new products. They try to test their
products in this small state. Their
business success lies in making the poor people addictive in their products.
Though everyone claims that Kerala is a hundred percent literary state, most
people are attracted by the external colour and appearance of the new products.
There are so many marketing techniques used in selling panmasala. By
introducing new glorifying advertisement techniques, they influence the people
very easily. Majority of the people are
unaware of the hazards of panmasala products.
To get sudden
intoxication, some of the panmasalas are mixed with small glass pieces. These
glass pieces in it make tiny wounds in the mouth, making the juice of panmasala
mixed with the blood. These wounds
gradually will develop and turn to cancer.
When the juice of panmasala enters the stomach there is a possibility of
SMF and cancer in throat and oesophagus. So the best way to avoid mouth cancer
is to lash out the panmasala completely.
A random survey
conducted by Infant Jesus English Medium School, Kuravankonam, among 1,000 high
school girls in Thiruvananthapuram revealed a shocking fact that 32% of them
are addicted to panmasala. Some of the girls told the survey team that they use
the pocket money for this and the material is arranged through their
boyfriends. The girls keep this habit as secret and the consumption of
panmasala among them are increasing day by day.
Now it has become a hot
potato in our day-to-day life. It is the sole responsibility of the parents,
elders and teachers to give the youth suitable advice and show them the right
path. Today only nuclear family can be seen everywhere. Parents may not get
leisure time to spend with their children. They have the intention only of
making money so they do not get enough time to love their children. So tension
prevails in every family. This condition must be changed, the parents should
find time to love and mingle with their children. Every parent should know the
mind of their children and their needs. They should stop the dash of their
children to get panmasala, so that a strong human race can be built. The
society should conduct campaign against the use of this devilish addictive. The
people of Kerala must join hands against the use of it. So let us look forward
for a ‘pan-free’ society to the enlightened future for the divine life of the
youth.
(KERALA
CALLING, June 2005)