Howrah Bridge may Fall Down due to Gutka Spit

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

Kolkata is one of my second homes. And many times have I been in view of, or crossing over, the Howrah bridge.

http://m.csmonitor.com/World/Global-...ecause-of-spit

Now it is about to fall down, and they say it is because of chewed gutkha – a tobacco product.

Quote, " Engineers who surveyed the cantilever structure then reported that the struts supporting the girders of the bridge had already lost half of their metal casing: The corrosion was apparently caused by acids in the gutkha."

I am not sure what to say. It is almost embarrassing.

I have never chewed it. But I have seen plenty of red spital cast in squirts from the mouth of many a Kolkata citizen.

I always thought that was pan. What is the difference?

" Paan is in Hindi: पान from Sanskrit parṇa 'feather, leaf'[1] is a stimulating and psychoactive[2] preparation of betel leaf combined with areca nut and/or cured tobacco.[3][4] Paan is chewed and finally spat out or swallowed. Paan has many variations. Slaked lime paste is commonly added to bind the leaves. Some South Asian preparations include katha paste or mukhwas to freshen the breath."

"Gutka or Gutkha (Hindi: गुटखा, Gujarati: ગુટખા, Punjabi: ਗੁਟਖਾ, Urdu: گٹکھا) is a preparation of crushed areca nut (also called betel nut), tobacco, catechu, paraffin, slaked lime and sweet or savory flavorings."

What is the difference between pan and gutka?

Om Namah Sivaya

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

Attempts to save the Howrah bridge are underway, here is an updated report:

http://m.thehindubusinessline.com/ne...le4676279.ece/

If the sputum of gutka is so corrosive to eat metal.... then what is pan and gutka doing to your teeth and stomach lining?

Om Namah Sivaya

[Sudas Paijavana]

What is the difference between pan and gutka?

Greetings,

Paan is the "traditional" tobacco-chew. However, there are also non-tobacco paans that one can find at both North and South Indian restaurants here in the West as well as in India.

Gutkha, along with Manikchand, R.M.D., Tulsi, and a few others, are also spit-tobacco but not necessarily "tobacco-chews". Paan you keep in your mouth longer, and you chew it more excessively, whereas with Gutkha you do not have to chew as often. Gutkha is also the "sweeter" of the two, even though various Paan-makers can make a Paan as sweet as possible.

There is also Supāri/Sopāri, sometimes referred to as Māwā. They, like the Tumbāku/Tamāku, are not necessarily chewing tobacco, but more along the lines of, "keep in your mouth and spit every now and then". These are, in my opinion, the more dangerous of the tobacco-consumption products. There is another Supāri that is non-tobacco. They are commonly referred to as "mouth fresheners". However, some are so sweet that they are actually quite bad for one's teeth.

Almost all of these variations have Lime-Extract, also known as Chuno/Chono - which in high dosages can literally burn your mouth, tearing skin apart and causing painful abrasions.

Chewing tobacco and spit-tobacco are seen as backwards by the urbanite population of many prominent Indian cities. Instead, there is a recent wave amongst Indian college students to smoke cigarettes rather than engage in "rural-like tobacco spitting". Both which are unsafe and unhealthy choices to partake in, either way.

If the sputum of gutka is so corrosive to eat metal.... then what is pan and gutka doing to your teeth and stomach lining?

Paan and Gukta are considerably dangerous to one's health when taken over a length of time. They are also very addictive. They erode the teeth's protection and obliterate the gums. They also cause considerable damage to one's throat. These negative side effects become evident when either of the two are taken over a long period of time (and, by "long", I mean...anywhere from three to four months and above - since it takes that short amount of time just to see a difference in one's oral health if these products are taken daily and quite heftily).

Source: Family members and family friends back in India that frequently, daily, consume [almost hourly] one or more of the above mentioned tobacco products.

[Anirudh]

On a different note if Paan is very bad for health why we use trem in Pooja

[Jaskaran Singh]

Source: Family members and family friends back in India that frequently, daily, consume [almost hourly] one or more of the above mentioned tobacco products.

None of my family members smoke tobacco or chew paan, but my mother has an addiction to chewing ilaichi (I have no idea why, she told me that she used to chew it a lot when she was a child growing up in dilli). I don't think it (the ilaichi chewing) is that bad for your health though, it's more like a bad habit.

[Sudas Paijavana]

On a different note if Paan is very bad for health why we use trem in Pooja

Haha! Oh, come on, dude! The "paan" (just the leaf) used during Puja is different than the one you order at a Paan-Masala shop on street corners in India.

None of my family members smoke tobacco or chew paan, but my mother has an addiction to chewing ilaichi (I have no idea why, she told me that she used to chew it a lot when she was a child growing up in dilli). I don't think it (the ilaichi chewing) is that bad for your health though, it's more like a bad habit.

Have you ever heard of Illaichi Milk? It's supposedly good for you.