Palatal mucosal changes among reverse smokers in an Indian village.

The smoking habits of 324 villagers of Uppada, East Godavari District, A.P., India, and their effect on the palatal mucosa leading to cancer, were studied. The frequency of reverse smoking (i.e., smoking with the lighted end inside the mouth) was 6.23 times higher in females than in males. The frequency of preleukoplakia was 2.26 times higher, that of leukoplakia was 13.84 times higher, and that of stomatitis nicotina was 7.13 times higher in reverse smokers than in regular smokers. These frequencies are lower compared to earlier studies done in the 60's and 70's in the districts of Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam.