Jose Tome is seeing red...
He has been driving around the city in his car, which is streaked with red stains. Someone with scant civic sense spat on his car while chewing betel leaf (paan).
Tome's novel protest aims to raise awareness among residents to keep the city clean and targets in particular those who chew betel leaf and spit where ever they deem convenient.
Paan is a concoction usually made of betel leaf, areca nut and to which several taste enhancers are added. Those who eat paan have to spit frequently. The chewing and spitting of paan, especially in public places, was prohibited in Dubai following Local Order No. 28 of 1985.
Chewing paan is popular among people from the sub-continent. Chewing betel nut is also popular among East Asians, South Americans and some Europeans.
Different kinds of 'paan masala' are also available in packets from grocery shops and cafeterias. Tome said: "This is not the first time... I have found these red stains many times on my car. The last time, somebody spat on my car's windscreen. I have seen other cars in parking lots streaked with the same red stain."
Tome, an Indian who lives in Bur Dubai, said he will not clean his car for a month at least to highlight the bad habit. Despite a municipality ban on chewing betel leaf and spitting on roads and pavements, the habit remains unchecked. Stains are found in parking lots, on roads, stairs and corners of buildings, in narrow alleys and markets in Bur Dubai and Deira where betel leaf is sold on the sly.
A salesman in Deira said: "It is not difficult to get paan. Some cafeterias and restaurants in Bur Dubai and Deira will direct you to narrow alleys and someone will approach you to sell paan for a dirham. These roaming salesmen don't disclose the location of paan sellers. Some people operate from flats and some from cafeterias and restaurants."
A manager of a hotel located in a densely populated neighbourhood in Deira said: "I am tired of people spitting on the staircase and the wall of my hotel. Though, we try our best to keep an eye on people who enter the hotel chewing paan, it is difficult to stop everyone. They spit in the wink of an eye and walk away without realising it is a public nuisance and the area looks disgusting." He urged the authorities to curb those involved in the paan business.
According to municipality laws, offenders can face fines ranging from Dh100-500 depending on the type of violation. They might be asked to bear the cost of repair. If the offence is repeated in the same year, the penalty is doubled.
SPIT BUSTERS
Pastime that can cause mouth cancers The chewing and spitting of paan, especially in public places, is prohibited in Dubai following Local Order No. 28 of 1985.
According to municipality laws, offenders can face fines ranging from Dh100-500 depending on the type of violation.
Offenders will also be asked to bear the cost of repair. If the offence is repeated in the same year, the penalty is doubled.
Paan is a concoction usually made of betel leaf, areca nut, tobacco leaf, and to which several taste enhancers are added.
People who eat paan have to spit frequently.
Chewing paan is popular among people from the sub-continent.
Leading mouth cancer experts have warned Asians about the dangers of chewing paan. It is found to be a primary cause in mouth cancers.
In parts of India and Asia where chewing paan or tobacco is very common, the incidence of oral cancer is three times higher.
Mouth cancers have a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma.
Gulf News
