Cancer in ethnic groups
Some of the biggest users of tobacco in Britain are ethnic communities. According to the last Health Survey for England (The Health of Minority Groups 1999) 44 percent of Bangladeshi men and 35 percent of Caribbean men smoke, compared with only 27 percent of men in the general population.
It is not just smoking, but also chewing tobacco with betel quid, paan and guthka that causes health problems. Chewing tobacco is a special problem because few people know that it can cause mouth cancer and other serious diseases.
Paan is popular with communities with their roots in central, south and southeast Asia, where mouth cancer is the most common form of cancer, accounting for 40% of all cancers. Tobacco is added to a variety of products such as betel quid, paan masala and gutkha. These products also include other ingredients such as betel leaf, slaked lime, catechu (from acacia trees) and areca nut.
The use of chewing tobacco is particularly common in the Bangladeshi community, especially among older generations.
Statistics show 16% of women and 9% of men in the Bangladeshi community chew paan. In Indian communities 4% of men and 1% of women chew tobacco. More than half of Bangladeshi women aged 55 and over regularly use chewing tobacco. Many south-Asian women believe it can help aid digestion and relieve tooth pain.
Unfortunately, these products usually have little or no health information on their packaging. In the UK and other countries, some of these brands are marketed like sweets and, as no mention is made of tobacco on the packaging, they can unwittingly be sold to children.
Some people will chew tobacco at least six times a day and even leave it in the mouth overnight. Most do not know that it can cause mouth cancer and other serious illnesses.
A number of local authorities with large Asian populations are running campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of chewing tobacco, and the benefits of stopping its use. These campaigns are backed by the government, which has set up an NHS Asian Tobacco Helpline - see our Links page for phone numbers.
You should also have a look at our How can I prevent it page for advice about how to reduce your risk of developing mouth cancer.