Experts sound alarm on smokeless tobacco and areca nut use, citing disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income countries
A recent study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which was contributed to by Karolinska Institutet, underscores the significance of addressing these risk factors to combat oral cancer globally.
Swapnil R Mishra
Oral cancer is a major concern globally, and recent studies have shed light on its alarming connection to smokeless tobacco and areca nut consumption. In 2022, these risk factors led to over 120,000 oral cancer cases, accounting for one-third of all oral cancer cases worldwide.
Titled “Global burden of oral cancer in 2022 attributable to smokeless tobacco and areca nut consumption: a population attributable fraction analysis” the paper, was published in The Lancet Oncology.
A staggering 88% of oral cancer cases caused by smokeless tobacco and areca nut use occurred in South-Central Asia, while 96.4% of cases were found in low- and middle-income countries. This highlights the need for targeted public health interventions in these regions.
Approximately 300 million people use smokeless tobacco, and 600 million people use areca nut worldwide. The highest rates of consumption are in South-Central Asia, South-East Asia, and Melanesia.
What are Smokeless Tobacco and Areca Nut?
–Smokeless tobacco products are consumed without burning and can be chewed, sucked, inhaled, applied locally, or ingested. Areca nut, the seed of the areca palm, is consumed in various forms, often with or without smokeless tobacco.
Cecilia Magnusson, adjunct professor at Karolinska Institutet, emphasizes the importance of these findings for global health and cancer prevention efforts ¹. Interestingly, ‘Swedish snus’ (a type of smokeless tobacco) does not seem to be linked to oral cancer in northern Europe.
Cecilia Magnusson, co-author of the publication, stressed the collaboration’s significance for global health and cancer prevention. “The remarkably low proportion of oral cancer cases in northern Europe, particularly with regards to Swedish snus, contrasts with the alarming rates in other regions,” she noted. “These results have far-reaching implications for global health initiatives and migrant communities’ well-being.”
Smokeless tobacco and areca nut use poses a significant global health concern, with approximately 300 million and 600 million users worldwide, respectively. Usage rates are disproportionately high in South-Central Asia, South-East Asia, and Melanesia.
Smokeless tobacco products are versatile and potentially harmful, consumed through chewing, sucking, inhaling, local application, or ingestion. Similarly, areca nut, derived from the areca palm, is used in various forms, often with or without smokeless tobacco.
