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Hazards of Tobbaco use Many students in India use tobacco products as dentifrice. Differences between the sexes were minimal and similar to those reported globally.5 In India the misconception is widespread that tobacco is good for the teeth. In a study reported from Ernakulam district in Kerala 92% (3013) of 3261 female tobacco users and 28% (2159) of 7575 male users specified tooth related problems as the reason for starting to use tobacco.3 Many companies take advantage of this misconception by packaging and positioning their products as dental care products. A laboratory test of five samples of red tooth powder that did not declare tobacco as an ingredient found a tobacco content of 9.3-248 mg per gram of tooth powder. The 1992 amendment to India's Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 barred manufacturers from using tobacco as an ingredient in any toothpaste or toothpowder. One manufacturer challenged this amendment, but ultimately the Supreme Court passed judgment in favour of the government of India.1 We carried out our study 10 years after the law had been amended. Surprisingly, 6-68% students still reported that they currently used products containing tobacco for oral care, which shows clearly that the regulations have not been implemented adequately. for more on this story go to following link |