Naswar

A pile of naswar

Naswār (Pashto: نسوار, Cyrillic script: насва́р, Hindi: नसवार), also called nās (ناس; на́с), nāsor (ناسور; насур) or nasvay (نسوای; насвай), is a moist, powdered tobacco dip consumed mostly in Afghanistan, and surrounding countries, including Pakistan, India and neighboring Central Asian republics.[1] Naswar is stuffed in the floor of the mouth under the lower lip, or inside the cheek known as Butt style stuffing, for extended periods of time, usually for 15 to 30 minutes. It is similar to dipping tobacco and snus. Swabi, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Charsadda, Mohmand and Herat are renowned for their production of some of the highest quality Naswar.[2]

Naswar is addictive. It is also linked as a cause of oral and throat cancer. Heavy usage is now not recommended due to its known medical side effects.[3]

Types

There are two forms of naswar; powder, and a paste cake style mixed with lime. It has a very pungent and powerful smell, resembling that of a fresh bale of coastal hay,[citation needed] and has a subtle flavor as it mixes with the saliva. The nicotine effect can occur within 5 minutes after intake, producing a slight burning sensation on the inner lip and tongue.

Nas: tobacco, ash, cotton or sesame oil, water, and sometimes gum.[4]

Naswar: tobacco, slaked lime, indigo, cardamom, oil, menthol, water.

Naswār is made from sun and heat-dried tobacco leaves. These are added to slaked lime, ash from tree bark, and flavoring and coloring agents are mixed together. Water is added and the mixture is rolled into balls.

History

Naswar was introduced into Western Europe by a Spanish monk named Ramon Pane after Columbus' second voyage to the Americas during 1493-1496.[5] In 1561, Jean Nicot, the French ambassador in Lisbon, Portugal, sent naswar to Catherine de' Medici to treat her son's persistent migraine.[6]

Usage

Packets of Naswar

South and Central Asia

The green powder form is used most frequently. It is made by pouring water into a cement-lined cavity, to which slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) and air-cured, sun-dried, powdered tobacco is added. Indigo is added to the mixture to impart color,[7] and juniper ash may be added as flavoring.[citation needed]

Currently, the countries of the region freely sell naswar in the markets, usually on trays with cigarettes and sunflower seeds. The only exception is Turkmenistan, where in 2008 President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow signed a decree banning the production, sale, use, and import of naswar.[8]

In 2011 naswar was included in the list of narcotic and psychoactive substances to be controlled in Kazakhstan.[9]

In November 2006 an editorial in the newspaper Daily Times in Pakistan caused some controversy over its allegedly biased representations of Pashtun predilection for naswar.[10]

Eastern Europe and Russia

In Russia, naswar is not a traditional product, but it has gained popularity especially among teenagers. It was sold in the markets of Moscow[11] and in other cities of the Urals, Volga, and other regions of the country. Its trade was usually conducted on trays with spices.[11] According to the association of tobacco distributors "Grandtabak", in the first half of 2004, Russia's import of naswar or "chewing tobacco" amounted to almost 67 tons (valued around 2 million US dollars), primarily from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.[12] On 23 February 2013, the Russian State Duma signed a federal law (N 15-ФЗ) which banned both wholesale and retail naswar from 1 June 2013 onward in Russia.[13]

Belarusian physicians have reported patients' medical information regarding naswar use to law enforcement agencies.[14] In Estonia, naswar is distributed to nightclubs.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ Khan, Zohaib; Dreger, Steffen; Shah, Syed Majid Hussain; Pohlabeln, Hermann; Khan, Sheraz; Ullah, Zakir; Rehman, Basheer; Zeeb, Hajo (10 July 2017). "Oral cancer via the bargain bin: The risk of oral cancer associated with a smokeless tobacco product (Naswar)". PLOS ONE. 12 (7): e0180445. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1280445K. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0180445. PMC 5503251. PMID 28692704. Naswar use is often associated with the Pashtun tribes of Afghanistan and Pakistan but is also used in Central Asia, India, Bangladesh and by expat communities of these countries across the world.
  2. ^ "Naswar more injurious to health than smoking". The Express Tribune. 2010-11-22. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  3. ^ Saleem, Saima; Azhar, Abid; Hameed, Abdul; Khan, Mansoor Ahmed; Abbasi, Zubair Ahmed; Qureshi, Navid Rashid; Ajmal, Muhammad (2013). "P53 (Pro72Arg) polymorphism associated with the risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma in gutka, niswar and manpuri addicted patients of Pakistan". Oral Oncology. 49 (8): 818–23. doi:10.1016/j.oraloncology.2013.04.004. PMID 23683469.
  4. ^ US Department of Health and Human Services. Health consequences of using smokeless tobacco: a report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General. Bethesda, Maryland: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1986.
  5. ^ Bourne, G. E.: Columbus, Ramon Pane, and the Beginnings of American Anthropology (1906), Kessinger Publishing, 2003, page 5
  6. ^ McKenna, T.: Food of the Gods - The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge - A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution, Bantam Books, 1993, page 199
  7. ^ Gupta, Prakash C.; Hamner, James E.; Murti, P. R. (1992). Control of Tobacco-related Cancers and Other Diseases: Proceedings of an International Symposium, January 15-19, 1990, TIFR, Bombay. Prakash C. Gupta. ISBN 9780195629613.
  8. ^ "В Туркмении запретили производить, продавать и жевать насвай - ЦентрАзия". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  9. ^ "ИА КазахЗерно". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  10. ^ "EDITORIAL: Hasba Bill beats the WP Bill hands down!". Daily Times. 15 November 2006. Archived from the original on 27 February 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Унесённые пленом : Попавшие в плен военнослужащие считаются пропавшими без вести - FLB.ru - Агентство Федеральных Расследований". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  12. ^ Гранд Табак. "Насвай - Словарь терминов - glossary - Гранд Табак". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  13. ^ "Автоматизированная система обеспечения законодательной деятельности". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  14. ^ Medvestnik Archived 2013-07-22 at the Wayback Machine / Газета «Медицинский вестник»
  15. ^ "Газета "Молодежь Эстонии" 10.09.99 Кухня наркоманов становится богаче Инесса КОЛЛОМ". Retrieved 30 May 2015.

External links

  • Supermarket in Ras al Khaimah Shut Down for Selling Naswar. GulfNews.com
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