HEALTH--pan masala MORE harmful than cigarettes.

Pan masala despite its lower nicotine content is more harmful than cigarettes and beedis. NICOTINE content in cigarettes is FOUR times higher than in pan-masala but the greater intake of tobacco during chewing makes the latter more DANGEROUS.

Even though nicotine content in chewing tobacco ranges from 2.6-4.1 milligram for each gram of tobacco as compared to 15 mg cigarettes per gram , chewing tobacco 7-8 times a day is equivalent of smoking 30-40 cigarettes per day. The odds of contracting ORAL CANCER is 7.3 in smokers, 1.2 in alcoholics and 11.4 in tobacco chewers. This explains the fact --CHEWING TOBACCO IS THE MOST DREADED AMONG THE THREE.

TOBACCO CHEWERS absorb the toxins through the oral cavity and the gastrointestinal tract , making it more dangerous.Harmful carcinogens like tobacco-specific N-nitrosamine, which are present in pan masala, are readily extracted in saliva and the absorption is boosted in the alkaline atmosphere of the stomach and intestines.

Even the nicotine content is not printed on tobacco products sold all over the country which should be made compulsory.