Zarda: a main cause of mouth cancer [Archives:2005/867/Health]

By Nazih Abdullah
Aden Bureau
Sociologists are of the view that unemployment and poverty are two major reasons for the deviation of children in any society, unless there has been a close observation and follow-up by their societies and families.

The results of a study, conducted by the World Bank in 1996, based on a survey carried out by the Central Organization for Control and Audit (COCA) four years earlier, reveal that 9% of Yemen's population live below the poverty line. Later on, this rate grew to 17.5%.

The poverty rate among Yemeni families counts for 30% of the population, meaning that Yemen ranks 133 on the list of the 262 poorest nations, according to 2001's human development reports.

As poverty has spread rapidly and the unemployment rate has increased over the last three years in the governorates of Aden, Lahj, Abyan and Taiz, the habit of taking zarda (a narcotic substance) has also spread among children and the youth. Poverty and unemployment have led to a multiplication in the places of zarda sale, particularly in the city of Aden.

Such a bad habit has irritated several families and parents, and consequently, an investigation has been conducted with the aim to find out more reasons and factors behind the proliferation of taking zarda.

In the public road near one of the primary schools in Sirah District, Aden, we cited a woman harshly beating her son. Asking her, “why do you beat your son in this way?” She answered, with her eyes shedding tears, “what else can I do? My son, who is aged 10, has become addicted to zarda. Every day I see his mouth reddish and his clothes stained with zarda.”

Asked about the role of municipalities who are supposed to ban selling this narcotic substance in the vicinity of schools, and the fact that school kids should be monitored by the school administration, the mother replied that the parties concerned have never shown any intervention; and most of the time her child suffers from headaches and sleeplessness for hours; and therefore he has lost his appetite.

“My child has been taken several times, to many doctors who in turn advised him to stop taking zarda, the sad woman added. “We earnestly appeal to the local authorities to curb the spread of zarda and punish owners of shops and bag carriers who sell this substance in lanes in different parts of the city.

Rising demand:

Mr. La'ura, the main provider of zarda, who has been working in his shop in Sira area since the 50s, noted that in the past, zarda was taken by some families descending from Indian origin.

“After we imported this narcotic substance from India, the number of its consumers increased; zarda is of two types, the first is worth 400 rials and the second 350 rials,” the main provider of zarda added. “During a certain period of time in the past, zarda had been bought from Hadramout, but the heavy rainfalls ensued by strong torrents in the province damaged all the farms that produced tobacco, compelling zarda providers to import the narcotic substance from India.”

When we inquired about the advantages and disadvantages of such a substance, specifically as its vendors are seen scattered in different areas of the city, La'ura responded, “the number of vendors increased due to the rising number of jobless youths, so this commodity seems to create job opportunities for the unemployed.”

The disadvantages of zarda, he added, can be similar to those associated with smoking and qat chewing; and if this substance is really harmful, the government should ban its import into the country.

Reports in futility:

The Consumer Protection Society (CPS), which plays an integral role in staging awareness programs nationwide, advises citizens not to take any substance that has effects on their health. Moreover, we met Dr. Saeed al-Rateel, Chairman of the Aden's CPS and asked him why the society did play an important role in eradicating the habit of taking zarda. Dr. Saeed said, according to its general policy, the CPS advises citizens to stop taking any narcotic substance which has negative effects on their health, including zarda.

The Chairman of CPS added, “we forwarded reports to the concerned parties in the governorates to fight the spread of zarda, but to no avail. We combat any commodity harmful to the human health and hope Aden Municipality Police will impose sanctions on zarda providers.”

The issue requires cooperation:

Talking about the role of municipality, Eng. Mohammad Musa, Deputy Director General of Public Works and Highways Office, mentioned the increase in zarda in the city of Aden, and that the govornate's executive council banned the selling of narcotic substances in the vicinity of schools.

He said all the competent bodies should cooperate with one another to eradicate any negative habits wherever found.

Opinion of physicians:

With respect to the consequences of taking zarda, Dr. Intasar al-Gahiri, a dentist at the Teaching Republican Hospital in Aden exclaimed, “over the last few days several women have come to us and complained that their children have bad teeth and suffer from gum ulcers. We then cleaned their teeth and took out all the bacteria accumulating in their teeth, due to the consumption of zarda.

Dr. Saeed Saira'a, Assistant Professor at Faculty of Health Sciences, Aden University, noted that over the past four years, boys aged between 12 and 24 hardly open their mouths; and suffer from hardening of the mucus membrane. After several cases have been thoroughly diagnosed, it has been made clear that these people consume zarda, a substance enlisted among narcotics.

The cases of zarda consumers taken to the specialist clinics, he added, were called mouth cancer sufferers due to the scourge of cancer swelling and the hardening of mucus membrane. The consumption of zarda with the passage of time causes a deadliest cancer characterized with fast transmission.

Dr. Ahmad Ali Mahdi, a faciomaxillary specialist and Professor at Aden University, defines “zarda” as a kind of leaf to which other ingredients: coconut, tobacco and a red dye are added. Zarda causes headaches for people who have not been accustomed to taking it, and its direct effects on the human body can be spotted mainly in the mouth; they last for a long time and stick to the mucus membrane.

Zarda also causes lip splitting and pains in the mouth and cheeks, as well as spitting problems.
——
[archive-e:867-v:13-y:2005-d:2005-08-11-p:health]