South Asian tobacco use Tobacco that you don't smoke - including
paan, betel quid and chewing tobacco - is not a 'safe' way to
use tobacco. It causes cancer and can be as addictive as
smoking. Find out the risks and how you can quit. Betel quid,
paan or gutkha is a mixture of ingredients including betel nut
(also called areca nut), herbs, spices and often tobacco,
wrapped in a betel leaf. Chewing smokeless tobacco, such as paan
or gutkha, is popular with many people from south Asian
communities, but all forms of tobacco can harm your health.
Research has shown that using smokeless tobacco raises the risk
of mouth cancer and oesophageal (food pipe) cancer. Studies have
also found that betel itself can raise the risk of cancer, so
chewing betel quid without tobacco is still harmful. Cigarettes,
bidi and shisha Smoking rates are higher among Bangladeshi men
(40%) and Pakistani men (29%) than in the general population
(21%). Indian men and south Asian women are less likely to
smoke. Smoking increases your risk of