Paan spitters soiling pavements to be targeted

Dec 24 2009 By Tara Brady

A CAMPAIGN to stop people spitting Paan on the streets of Brent is gathering pace.

More than 50 people, including community leaders, police officers, health experts and business owners, attended a conference earlier this month at the Tulsi Restaurant, in Ealing Road, aimed at encouraging people to stop spitting the tobacco leaf-based mixture which is staining pavements, especially in Wembley.

Paan spitting hotspots are Ealing Road and part of the High Road near St Johns Road.

Over the last few years the amount of Paan spat on the streets of Wembley has increased
dramatically. When it dries it leaves a dark red, blood like stain, which is very difficult and costly to remove.

Spitting Paan on the streets is illegal and, if caught, spitters can be fined £80 for criminal damage.

Councillor Gavin Sneddon, said: "Paan staining is unsightly and contributes to a negative
image that Wembley is dirty and run down, which can lead to increased levels of crime and
anti-social behaviour.

"It was very encouraging that so many people from the community attended the conference
and have agreed to work with us to reduce the problem of spitting tobacco Paan on our
streets."

Chewing Paan is rooted in the culture of many South Asian communities. However, the
majority of people chew sweet Paan, which does not contain tobacco or betel nut, is not
harmful and is not the variety being spat on the streets.

Fresh Paan can contain tobacco as does packaged Guthka. Tobacco and betel nut in Paan are
highly addictive and can increase the risk of oral cancer by almost ten times.

It can cause severe problems with speech, swallowing, chewing and facial disfiguring.

Children and young people are becoming hooked at an early age and tobacco Paan is wrongly perceived as a healthier and cheaper alternative to cigarettes.

Amanda Wilson, NHS Brent Tobacco Control Alliance Co-ordinator, said: "Many people think that chewing tobacco is less harmful than smoking, but cancer of the mouth is no more appealing than lung cancer.

“Chewing betel nut is also harmful. Added to the problem is the fact that many of these products are not properly labelled so people do not really know what it is that they're chewing."

The campaign will include high visibility advertising along the High Road and Ealing Road with banners, stickers, posters, leaflets.

The council does not have any legal powers to ban Paan - this must come from government.

Paan is not a banned substance or controlled drug and can be legally bought throughout the UK by anyone over the age of 18.

Specialist cleaning of streets in the borough costs the council £85,000 a year.