Asia accounts for 90% of chewing tobacco consumption

Asia accounts for 90% of chewing tobacco consumption

Published on Wednesday, 11 September 2013 19:17

The Nation

Bangkok - Asia accounts for 90 per cent of global consumption of chewing tobacco, used for cleaning teeth and treating ailments such as halitosis and morning sickness, the United Nations said Wednesday.

The region also claims the highest burden of oral cancer, the cancer most associated with "smokeless tobacco," with 95,000 cases each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

More than half of all oral cancers in Asia are caused by tobacco, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Other health effects of chewing tobacco include receding gums, high blood pressure and cancers of the mouth and food pipe.

"Lack of public awareness and incomplete knowledge about the harmful effects of smokeless tobacco are powerful obstacles in creating effective tobacco control policies," said Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO's regional director for South and East Asia.

Many people in Asia still use tobacco to clean their teeth, as a breath freshener, for toothache, to relieve gastric disturbances, to ease abdominal pain, to relieve stress and even as an antidote for morning sickness, WHO said.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/09/12/asia-accounts-for-90-of-chewing-tobacco-consumption/