Though the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has initiated stern campaign against the makers and the sellers of chewing tobacco, the vendors are unabashedly selling the toxic products under the safe-shelter of the law enforcers. A large number of youngsters between the age of 10-30 years, have been suffering from mouth cancer, mostly because of consuming such items.
Keeping this in view, CDGK has again taken stern measures against those involved in this business as a priority to prevent Karachiities from consuming these toxic products and also combating the menace of gutka, mainpuri, mawah, panparagh etc.
The district government has completely banned the promotion of such items through advertisements on electronic and print media as well as billboards. But the campaign seems to be more beneficial for law enforcement agencies than the Karachiities. When this reporter visited several pan shops located at different vicinities of Karachi, these toxic products are unabashedly being sold without any fear.
When asked them, why are you selling such banned items on which CDGK has announced Rs 50,000 penalty and six months imprisonment, most of them bluntly replied that they are paying Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 per month to area police for not taking action against them.
They said that the campaign is only for those vendors, who are reluctant to pay "Bhatta" and added every area police station is approximately earning rupees three to four lakh per month on such toxic items. When this reporter approached some gutka, mawah and mainpuri consumers to discuss the matter, they said the campaign is not providing fruitful results but has only surged the price of the products.
They said the gutka, which was earlier being sold at Rs 2, is now being sold at Rs 5. Similarly, mawah and mainpuri are being sold at almost double rates. However, the SHOs of different police stations including Gulberg, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Jauharabad, Soldier Bazar refused that police are patronising this illegal business and claimed that the sale of these items have completely been banned in their jurisdictions. Despite having a realisation of the serious repercussions, majority of the consumers seemed not to be ready to relinquish this bad addiction, said Dr Rizwan, dental surgeon, Abbasi Shaheed hospital.
He cited that such items cause mouth cancer, and this problem included tongue cancer, tonsil and laryngeal carcinoma, which accounted for 70 to 80 percent of all cancer cases and expressed his astonishment over the open sale of banned lethal gutka and other toxic products in market. He regretted that in spite of a ban on such items, things were still available at pan shops, school canteens, vendors, railway stations, which proved that the campaign was not effectively executed.
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