Paan chewing and spitting causes serious health and environmental damage and costs the council over £30,000 to clean up each year.
Paan is a mix of tobacco, nuts, and spices wrapped in a leaf. It is a centuries-old tradition for many in the Asian community, often used as a palate cleanser or breath freshener.
The council runs one-to-one support where residents can get support for quitting paan as part of a public health initiative to tackle tobacco, smoking, and paan in the borough.
Enforcement officers are taking a zero-tolerance approach to those caught ruining Brent's streets with paan, and residents will notice that banners have gone up in three hotspots where paan staining is a big problem.
Health experts warn it carries grave risks. According to Cancer Research UK, chewing paan with tobacco raises the risk of oral cancer, gum disease, and heart problems. The dangers are on par with cigarette smoking.
Dr Shazia Siddiqi, Clinical Lead for Primary and Community Care at Brent, said:
“We see patients with oral health issues linked to paan use. Additives like betel nut and tobacco when eaten frequently in the paan can pose serious health risks. Regular use of betel nut has been linked to oral and oesophageal cancers, while tobacco is highly addictive.
"Both can cause recurrent mouth ulcers and bleeding gums and can also weaken the immune system and increase the risk of infections like tuberculosis."
