BEWARE! Your favorite toothpaste could be laced with cancer- causing nicotine.

BEWARE! Your favorite toothpaste could be laced with cancer- causing nicotine.

A study by the Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (DIPSAR) has found that many of the toothpaste manufacturers are adulterating toothpastes and toothpowders with high quantity of nicotine.

Out of the 24 brands of toothpastes studied in 2011, seven brands - Colgate Herbal, Himalaya, Neem paste, Neem Tulsi, RA Thermoseal, Sensoform and Stoline - were found to contain nicotine

Colgate Herbal and Neem Tulsi, also a herbal product, surprisingly had 18 and 10 mg of nicotine, which is equivalent to the quantity found in nine and five cigarettes respectively

Out of the ten brands of toothpowders examined, six - Dabur Red, Vicco, Musaka Gul, Payokil, Unadent and Alka Dantmanjan - were found to contain nicotine. Payokil was found to have the highest 16 mg of tobacco, which is equivalent of what a person consumes after smoking eight cigarettes,

Vicco was found to have used tobacco consecutively for three years in its toothpowder, while Dabur Red resumed mixing tobacco in 2011 after stopping it in 2008

Nicotine and tar are carcinogens, the manufacturers should mention them among contents along with their permissible limits on the packages to help people make an informed choice.

Nicotine action is believed to be responsible for the drug induced feeling of pleasure and addiction, said Prof Agarwal.

Toothpastes containing nicotine can have the same ill effects hitherto attributed to tobacco products such as cigarettes and paan masala . The nicotine in the toothpaste is absorbed by the tongue and saliva in the mouth. It can lead to staining of teeth too and damage the whole enamel.