How good is chewing betel nut? Presumably, it must make for quite a good feeling, because of the obvious awful side effects people put up with to keep using it:
Betel nut black market boom in Australia has experts warning of devastating health impacts
The tropical nut is chewed widely across South-East Asia and the
Pacific and often mixed with lime powder (calcium hydroxide) to produce
an addictive paste that stains the teeth and mouth a vibrant red.
It can also cause bad breath, tooth wear, gum recession, bleeding gums, and mouth cancer in regular users.
Ms
Groves stopped selling betel nut when authorities cracked down on the
product in Cairns, but said regulations had resulted in a booming black
market for the product.
"[People] now just sell it at home," she said.
The Queensland Police Service said one person had been charged for possessing betel nut in 2019.
Australian
Dental Association oral medicine specialist Professor Michael
McCullough said the product was readily available in Melbourne where
dentists are reporting a large increase in the number of concerning
presentations associated with the product.
Have a look at two of the photos in the story:
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