A recent research study conducted with the support of Khyber Medical University’s Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) department and the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) has analyzed the biochemical composition of Naswar (moist snuff), a popular smokeless tobacco product in Pakistan.

The study found that Naswar contains a range of harmful substances, including nicotine, heavy metals, and aflatoxin constituents. These components have been proven to have toxic and carcinogenic (cancer-causing) potential.

Based on these concerning findings, the researchers have strongly recommended an urgent need for the enactment and implementation of Smoke Less Tobacco Control policies in Pakistan. This is aimed at curbing the widespread use of Naswar and protecting public health.

The study was conducted across all seven divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including Peshawar, Mardan, Hazara, Kohat, DI Khan, Bannu, and Malakand. A total of 14 of the most commonly sold Naswar brands, two from each division, were collected and analyzed.

According to the study supervisor, Dr. Shahzad, the objective of the research was to investigate the constituents of the most popularly consumed Naswar brands in the region.

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Smokeless tobacco (ST) use is a growing public health concern globally, with an estimated 360 million users, the majority of whom (over 90%) reside in the South Asian region.

In Pakistan, around 8% of the population uses various ST products, including Paan, Gutka, and Naswar. However, the use of Naswar is particularly prevalent among the ethnic Pashtun population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, where approximately 15% of the general population consumes it.

A study conducted in Peshawar found that around 60% of total tobacco users in the city consume Naswar. Using GC-MS analysis, the researchers identified 85 different chemical compounds in Naswar samples. Nicotine was the most common constituent, present in all the samples.

Depending on the extraction solvent, the highest nicotine content was 97% in the N-Hexane extract, while the lowest was 26.1% in the ethanolic extract. Out of all the compounds isolated in Naswar, 23 are classified as hazardous and harmful to human health. The majority of these hazardous and toxic constituents belong to the carboxylic (cotinine, norcotinine, 1,3-Diethylurea) and polyaromatic (benzoic acid, 2-ethylhexyl ester, Benzene, 4-ethyl-1,2-dimethyl-) groups of compounds.

Furthermore, the study revealed that urea, N, N-diethyl- was the major hazardous compound, frequently reported in eight Naswar samples, ranging from 1.64% to 9.78%.