India's bad habit carried overseas

[rubyjackass]

India’s Bad Habit Carried Overseas - India Real Time - WSJ
Excerpts:

When Deven Shah emigrated from the western Indian state of Gujarat to New York in 1983, his addiction to paan went with him. In 2001 he was treated for mouth cancer and the left portion of his jaw was removed.

“I can only chew food on the right side, and even then, I have to hold my mouth. I still can’t eat very spicy food… after the surgery, it took me almost a year to start eating solid foods again,” he said.

Health officials in the U.S. are increasingly seeing the types of oral cancer prevalent in South Asia, where the chewing of paan, a mixture of areca or betel nut, slaked lime, spices and sweeteners folded into a betel leaf and often combined with tobacco, is an ancient practice.

Areca nut and tobacco are highly addictive, making their consumption a serious public health concern in India, which has the highest incidence of oral cancer in the world.

“Chewing tobacco is part of the lifestyle of South Asians, and that habit, along with the diseases it causes, has migrated with people,” said Jatin Shah, chief of head and neck surgery at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

South Asians have a genetic disposition to oral cancer, are more likely to have poor oral hygiene, and use the deadly mix of areca nut and tobacco, he added.

 

[SirHatesALot]

Ban all the tambaku man,this is really shameful.

 

[Skallagrim]

Just because goras are not in the habit of chewing Paan it's become a 'bad habit that can't be carried overseas'.

 

[rubyjackass]

@Skallagrim: That and the fact that it causes cancer.

 

[livingdead]

Just because goras are not in the habit of chewing Paan it's become a 'bad habit that can't be carried overseas'.

its unhealthy because it causes cancer... also people tend to spit the red juice like pichkari everywhere ...

 

[Tikolo]

Indians have many bad habits that they carry over, that make look all south asians bad.

 

[A.Rafay]

I hate paan spitting!! It should be banned in Pakistan, specially in karachi people everywhere spit paan, its unhealthy garbage and disgusting!

 

[acetophenol]

I hate it when some guys chew it,but love it when some pretty young Iyer girls chew it,just for fun!!!

 

[joekrish]

I hate it when some guys chew it,but love it when some pretty young Iyer girls chew it,just for fun!!!

No doubts, unmatched. let's drink and chew pan to that someday.

 

[naveen mishra]

No doubts, unmatched. let's drink and chew pan to that someday.

here IN JAKARTA also every thing available....MIRAZ/MANIKCHAND/GOA GUTKA/CHAINI KHAINI/KUBER/...ETC

 

[joekrish]

here IN JAKARTA also every thing available....MIRAZ/MANIKCHAND/GOA GUTKA/CHAINI KHAINI/KUBER/...ETC

But there is a complete ban in my state bro, thank god I could get rid of a dirty habit.

 

[Aka123]

Indians overseas also smell bad.

They should shower more often.

Best suggestion for you.... Avoid Indians!

 

[Icewolf]

Paan
Although I personally dont chew it because I never get some ...
I love the taste

 

[GURU DUTT]

Paan
Although I personally dont chew it because I never get some ...
I love the taste

for once i agree with you but do you know that we indians offer paan, supari as offering to owr gods after offering them clothes & prasad during a a pooja after abhishek

 

[thesolar65]

Well, without betel nut, tobacco, and lime the paan can still taste good. I am not advocating in favor but occasionally, once in a week, i go for one paan (plain paan). A paan leaf without lime, some (i do no know its name) chutney, a clove, fried dhania, sonf (no sweetner), peppermint. This combination does not produce red colour or do not need to spit it out. If I eat something heavy and spicy during lunch then I go for it. I do not know but it gives me relief. I think paan leaf juice must have some medicinal properties. And also in some festivals paan is offered to goddess (in Kartik Purnima or during Rajo festival). But I never advocate for betel nut, lime or tobacco (which causes cancer) and also the spitting in public (with paan or without paan). Paan it self is not the culprit but the experiments we make with paan in the name of taste is the main culprit.