Scratching Recharge Card Coating with Nails Causes Cancer -- Reality or Hoax?

A warning message started spreading first on Facebook, through
re-posting and request for re-posting, and then it spread like a wild
fire via mobile text messages/SMS; which warns recipients not to
scratch the recharge mobile or phone cards with nails as the material
used for scratch card coating (Silver Nitro Oxide) can cause 'SKIN
CANCER'.

The mastermind behind this warning message used the name of Medical
Research Authority of the US to authenticate the message and in the
last it is requested you to re-post and forward the same to your
contacts and friends.

Let's have a look to the contents of the message before we start
post-mortem of the reality of this 'Scratch Card Coating Causing Skin
Cancer' warning message.

Facebook version: "ATTENTION!!! Medical research Authority of the US
have found that new cancer in human beings caused by 'Silver Nitro
oxide'. Whenever you buy recharge cards or calling cards don't scratch
them with ur nail as it contain 'silver nitro oxide' coating and can
cause skin cancer. Copy and paste this status and spread awareness
please"

SMS/Mobile Text Message version: "Fwd as rcvd Medical research
authority of us have found new cancer in human being caused by silver
nitro oxide..
Whenever you buy recharge cards dont scratch wid nail as it contain
silver nitro oxide coating and can cause skin cancer…
share dix msg to ur frndx…"

The message did not only get attention on Facebook but it is also
getting lots of views on other social media networks like Twitter,
MySpace and many more.

Actually this is a totally fake warning message, it is a HOAX!

See below what make this message a real HOAX:

1. The substance 'Silver Nitro Oxide' has no scientific existence till
date. Nothing exactly like that is found in chemistry (check your
Ababio).

Two chemical substances are found in real world that resembles the
name used in this hoax (i.e. Nitrous Oxide and Nitric Oxide) but there
is no such evidence that any one of these substances cause skin cancer
or any type of cancer.

Moreover, none of these substances has ever been used in scratch card coating.

2. The organization 'Medical Research Authority of US' has no real
existence in United States or anywhere in the world.

The closest one can find, via internet search, is the US-based
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) but
there is no information on the BARDA website that supports the claims
in this hoax message in any way!

Does it interest you to know what type of substance or material is
used in scratch card coating and whether it would have any harmful
effects on human or not?

If yes, then read on.

According to research, the primary source of scratch cards coating is 'Latex'.

More than 12,000 plant species yield latex containing rubber, though
in the vast majority of those species the rubber is not suitable for
commercial use.

More than 40,000 everyday products, including mattresses, gloves, swim
caps, condoms, catheters and balloons contain latex.

Sometimes it can be in products that you would never suspect, such as
panty hose, socks and even lottery scratch cards".

We all get exposed to Latex-containing product almost every second of
our lives! So, if Latex causes cancer, then skin cancer should by now
be a ragging epidemic as Latex exposure is not something you can
completely avoid.

Another material named UV Ink is also being used for coating the scratch cards.

According to Wikipedia, UV Ink is not the ink that becomes visible
under Ultra Violet (UV) light but an ink that 'dries' under UV
radiation.

The production of scratch card coating is a process that involves two
steps, with an optional third step:

1. A substrate is covered by a thick, smooth layer of UV ink coating.

2. And then printed with a special 'scratch-off' black/silver UV ink
(scratch-off inks can sometimes be solvent-based ).

3. An optional third step could involve printing text or images over
the scratch-off area, with yet another type of UV ink.

After the above explanations and details provided it is
important to make a final point that Silver Nitro Oxide scratch cards
health warning is nothing more than a baseless Internet trash
therefore should not be re-posted or forwarded in any case!