Gutkha Addiction in India

Tobacco use is very common worldwide. It is very popular and more accepted form of substance compared to others. It is used in the form of chewing, smoking and snorting. Chewing tobacco is an adherent factor for health hazards. Tobacco consumption in the form of smokeless tobacco is the worlds leading preventable cause of premature death and held responsible for about 5 million deaths annually, mostly in poor countries. Gutkha is a powdery, granular white substance with arecanut, lime, spices cardamom, catechu,colouring agent having pleasing flavouring odours. Gutkha, as a smokeless tobacco product has been popularly used by the adults and is a risk-factor for causing oral-cancer. Tobacco, the most harmful ingredient present in Gutkha is wholly responsible for oral cancer. In addition to health risk, Gutkha-addiction has a direct link with ones economic standard and education. This compact and conceptually sound book presents a clear and precise picture on the problems of Gutkha consumption and its impact on ones quality of life. This book will be of much help to teachers, students, health workers and NGOs working in this field, also to policy makers.