Answer: Intoxication is totally Haraam. Consuming intoxicating things that resembles drug addicted people, though they are not intoxicating, even then it is a sin. Islamic scholars have elaborated that drinking pure water in a way as one consumes alcohol is Haraam. However, if so little amount of opium or the hemp drug or Charas is used in any compound mixture (such as Ma’joon etc.) as a form of medicine which does not affect the intellect at all, then there is no harm in it, but one should protect himself from opium as it pierces the stomach, therefore the quantity of opium has to be increased willingly or unwillingly. وَالْعِیَاذُبِاﷲِ تَعَالٰی   (Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 25, pp. 213)

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب           صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! Each of us should avoid these deadly things and should seek the protection of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Unfortunately, in our society, there are a large number of people who, apart from these deadly intoxicating and Haraam narcotics, are habitual of chewing betel leaves and Gutkha. Though betel leaves and Gutkha are not Haraam and intoxicating, they are very harmful. Therefore, have mercy on your own condition and completely boycott them. Let’s listen to their disasters as well.

Parable of a patient suffering from gum cancer

In his booklet ‘Paan Gutkha’, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, ‘Allamah Abu Bilal Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qaadiri دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ has mentioned: A 40-year-old man once told me: I have cancer in my gums. I have had an operation as well, but did not make any recovery. Actually, I used to chew 20 or 25 betel leaves daily along with smoking half or a full packet of cigarettes. I asked him: Do you still chew betel leaves and smoke cigarettes or not? So holding his ears he started saying that these things have destroyed me and brought me close to death. Now how can I use them! (Paan Gutkha, pp. 2) 

Betel leaves or Gutkha and throat cancer

Dear Islamic brothers! You have just heard the way betel leaves and Gutkha destroyed the health of a person and he developed gum cancer. There are many other such patients who are in deep troubles due to smoking.