Snus is addictive and affects health, say doctors

KABUL (Pajhwok): As the use of snus or Naswar is on the rise among people in the country, health experts say the tobacco product is addictive and causes cancer of mouth and some other diseases.

Pajhwok Afghan News conducted interviews with a number of vendors, consumers and health professionals about the snuff. Majority of snus users are youth.

Increasing snus sales

Ahmad Gul, a shopkeeper in Kabul who sells snus and drinks, told Pajhwok Afghan News, “I have three types of snus for sale, Paan555, Paan24 and Paan222, but customers mostly use Paan 555.”

He said that the snus sales had increased as he sold 20 to 40 packs daily as each pack costs 10 afghanis.

He said that previously he could only sell one pack a day or some days had no sales, but now he sells up to 40 of them in a day.

Farhad, another shopkeeper of a grocery store who also sells snus in Kabul, said that snus sales had recently increased and the main consumers were youth. He said that he sells up to 20 packs of the snus a day and each pack contained 15 snus bags.

He said that they buy seven kilograms of the product from Kabul Mandavi Market and then sells each pack for 10 to 20 afghanis.

“There are several types of snus with different names,” he said.

Users of snuss are mostly youth

Mohammad Yawari, a 25-year-old resident of Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he had been using snus for two years and he was encouraged by his friends to use it.

“I had depression and turned to smoking cigarettes, later I got interested in Naswar, but it looked filthy, then I started using snus,” he said.

“When I use a snus, I feel relax for a few minutes, I know intoxicating is harmful, but now I am addicted to it and cannot stop using it,” he said.

Ahmad Mansoor, 18, a resident of Pul-i-Surkh area of Kabul, who has been using snus since the last three years, said, “When I first used snus, it was three years ago with a friend who had just come to our house from Ghor province.”

He said that he previously smoked cigarette but started using snus later as it was more intoxicant, but the more he used it the less it was helpful for him.

“I knew snus’ risks from the beginning and sometimes I feel remorse,” Mansoor said.

Mansoor, who was repeatedly discouraged by his family to stop snus, said, “My mother, who knows I use snus, has always tried to stop me from using it, but without using it, I feel I have missed something.”

He said that youths should be careful from the beginning to avoid using narcotics as it would be hard for them to stop when they are once addicted.

Snus is addictive and harmful for health: Experts

Health experts say that using snus can cause many diseases including mouth cancer, damaging mucous membranes and teeth and cause bad breath.

Dr. ZabihullahMohmand, a dental specialist and a professor at Ghazanfar Institute of Health Sciences, told Pajhwok Afghan News that snus was harmful to the oral cavity, which, in addition to irritating the mucous membranes, caused bad breath and cancer in the oral cavity.

He said that it is recommended for all people, especially young people, that they should not use harmful products, because it causes addiction and various diseases.

Mohmand said that a number of patients visit his clinic every day to clean their teeth, which change color due to the use of snus.

mds/ma

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