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"I just want to use my experience to show everyone that betel nut is really scary."
In September 2022, a singer named Fu Song suffered from oral cancer due to chewing betel nut and eventually passed away.
In recent years, betel nut has become a frequent visitor to hot searches.
On the one hand, Guangzhou has struck a heavy blow and completely banned the promotion of betel nut products outdoors;
On the other hand, on August 15, 2021, the Chinese Embassy in Turkey issued an announcement advising compatriots not to bring betel nut into Turkey, as betel nut is classified as a drug.
Xinhua News Agency disclosed a set of data in 2019, saying that the number of people who eat betel nuts in the country is more than 60 million, which is very addictive.
The little betel nut was blown to the cusp for a while, what is the truth? Is betel nut really difficult to quit? And how does betel nut erode enthusiasts step by step?
(Betel nut)
Why is it difficult to quit? Chewing for two thousand years: from medicine to addiction
There are countless addictive things in the world, and betel nut lovers and those who don't make up two very different worlds - the former treats betel nut as a refreshing snack; The latter, on the other hand, treats betel nut as a beast of deluge, linked to drugs.
In 2019, because of the "betel nut incident", Hunan Province became the focus of national attention. Many journalists visited Hunan Province to experience the difference between these two different worlds.
In March of that year, the Hunan Betel Nut Food Association issued a notice saying that "all enterprises will stop all domestic advertising from March 7".
For a time, the news about the cancer caused by betel nut was "revisited", and the betel nut enterprise became the target of everyone.
On the one hand, betel nut has been considered a drug like American marijuana; On the other hand, people in Xiangtan City and other places regard betel nut as a common thing for writers.
In fact, if only the Hunan Province Betel Nut Food Association issued a ban, this has almost no impact on many ordinary people, not publicizing does not mean not selling, and the habit of chewing betel nut is deeply rooted in the deep cultural blessing.
Originally, perhaps thousands of years ago, the "betel nut" was a class symbol on the island of Taiwan.
Among the ancient teeth recently unearthed on the island of Taiwan, many have traces of chewing betel nut, that is, they have the characteristics of "black teeth".
In the cognition of Taiwan's ancestors, "black teeth" are a symbol of nobility, and chewing betel nut can reap status.
The thinking of the ancients was sometimes so simple and pure.
(Betel nut)
In today's era of teeth whitening propaganda, I am afraid that I could not imagine that in the distant past, black teeth were so delicious.
It is also difficult to imagine that the ancestors of Taiwan Island relied on black teeth to attract the opposite sex. But this is the real history.
In fact, from this point of view, today's pursuit of white teeth is also a kind of identity.
In Hunan Province, betel nut also has a "class attribute".
Most of the betel nut lovers in Hunan Province are "migrant workers", or "manual workers", such as construction workers, ride-hailing drivers, and then roadside odd workers.
(Betel nut)
The shell of betel nut is quite hard, but as you chew deeper, the whole shell becomes softer and tougher, according to chews, like chewing gum.
When a reporter from China Newsweek was interviewing in Hunan Province, he could smell betel nut almost every time he got into a taxi, "it is a unique mint-like aroma" that anyone can smell if someone chews it.
Some bus drivers told reporters that there are rules that drivers cannot chew betel nuts during work, but they still can't help but tear open the package and eat little by little.
As for those bus drivers who run long distances, the frequency of eating betel nut is higher, especially generally driving at night, people are very sleepy, drivers in other places rely on smoking to solve their difficulties, and many drivers in Hunan Province rely on eating betel nut to refresh themselves.
Before each sports car, the driver buys two or three packs and stays up through the long night.
(Oral cancer patients)
When described, the driver Lao Peng also exaggerated that when it was cold, he chewed two mouthfuls, hot sweat came out directly, and his clothes were directly soaked.
"To exaggerate, if you haven't bathed for a long time, the thick dead skin can be pulled off."
When the driver runs the car, he "chews all the time, chews until the mouth is full of dregs, and the taste is gone." ”
In order to show the reporter, the driver Lao Peng also spit out the betel nut that was not chewed in his mouth, so that the reporter could observe it alive.
Perhaps for these manual workers, a pack of betel nuts for less than ten yuan is the biggest pastime on weekdays, and the value of calming the soul cannot be replaced.
In recent years, with the enhancement of people's health awareness, betel nut has gradually been fried to the cusp, and the outside world has discussed betel nut more and more.
"Ten betel nut chewing, nine oral cancers", chewing betel nut will cause cancer is almost deeply rooted in people's hearts, and news demanding control is common.
At the same time, the cultivation of betel nut has become the most important means of economic development in many provinces and cities, and the betel nut industry in Hainan Province has a revenue of more than 20 billion yuan, which is one of the "troikas" that drive the local economy.
For a while, the wind and rain continued - betel nut, can you still chew?
A Chinese nightmare: Can betel nuts still be chewed?
The research on the dangers of betel nut in the mainland medical community began in the eighties of the last century.
In 1984, Chui Xinchun, now the director of the Department of Stomatology at the Xiangya School of Medicine of Central South University, met a pair of special patients - they were a pair of sisters, but they encountered unspeakable hidden at a beautiful age.
When Chui Xinchun saw the sisters, they couldn't help but be startled, because the mouths of these sisters were as if they were stuck with glue, and they could hardly open their mouths, and every time they opened their mouths to make a sound, it was very difficult.
After careful observation, Chui Xinchun found that the oral mucosa of the two sisters was white and scary, and finally diagnosed with suboral fibrosis.
The sisters started their business in betel nuts and would deal with betel nuts every day, so they naturally ate betel nuts.
In fact, before the sisters officially sought medical treatment, the mainland medical community almost never had any doubts about betel nut, at least not in writing.
And after this diagnosis, Chui Xinchun's heart was a little shaken.
The following year, in the article "Submucosal Fibrosis of the Oral Mouth", Chui Xinchun added the experiences of the above two sisters, saying:
"So far, the cause of submucosal fibrosis in the oral cavity is unclear... It can also be caused by chewing the hammer. ”
Coincidentally, Danish dentist Jane Peterberg went to the mainland city of Xiangtan that year to study the topics related to oral submucosal fibrosis.
The Danish medical scientist was also not very accurate, and proposed in a tone of uncertainty:
"Chewing betel nut may cause fibrosis under the mucosa of the mouth."
Since then, the matter of chewing betel nut has become one of the hottest research topics in the medical field, and many papers and studies have emerged.
In 1993, Ling Tianmou, then professor of stomatology at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, published a blockbuster paper.
In the paper entitled "Clinical Analysis of 335 Cases of Oral Submucosal Fibrosis", Ling Tianmu randomly surveyed 11,046 Xiangtan people in the time period from 1985 to 1987, and found that 335 people had oral submucosal fibrosis.
And most importantly, all 335 people had the habit of chewing betel nuts.
So far, both Fei Xinchun and Jane Peterberg's inference has been confirmed - chewing betel nut will lead to submucosal fibrosis of the oral cavity.
Finally, in 2003, after considering the research reports from Pakistan, India and other places, the International Center for Research on Cancer, a subsidiary of the World Health Organization, 16 participating experts unanimously said that betel nut is a first-class carcinogen.
A doctor from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in the mainland once published an article in China Newsweek: The reason why betel nut causes cancer is because the betel nut alkaloids, betel nut tannins and other substances contained in betel nut are genotoxic and can even directly cause cancer. The so-called oral submucosal fibrosis is a precursor to cancer, and severe cases directly develop into oral cancer.
According to data published by the Chinese Journal of Dental Research, in the decade from 2006 to 2016, 11,882 oral cancer patients were found in five hospitals in Changsha alone, and 69.2% of people chewed betel nut.
However, on the question of whether betel nut is harmful or not, the betel nut industry practitioners and medical scientists have very different views.
Erosion enthusiasts
In 2018, Yang Xun, president of the Hunan Betel Nut Food Association, sent a report to reporters and friends about "different opinions and explanations on the carcinogenesis of betel nut".
(Betel nut plantation)
In this material, Yang Xun gave an example that the carcinogenic betel nut identified by the World Health Organization came from South Asia, Southeast Asia and other places, and was not sampled in Hunan Province at all.
Therefore, the WHO report is untenable, and betel nut in Hunan Province is not necessarily harmful.
Many leaders of betel nut plantation enterprises hold this view, believing that "the carcinogenic mechanism of betel nut has not yet been clarified", and the industry cannot be killed with a stick.
In fact, the carcinogenic mechanism of betel nut is very clear, but some growers believe that this carcinogenic experiment has not been carried out on the human body, so it cannot be counted.
(Betel nut)
Moreover, these people in charge also said that "there are people who love to eat", which is none of their business.
However, betel nut addiction is still related to betel nut itself.
"Betel nut with smoke, the mana is boundless."
This custom is popular in places like Hunan Province, where some people pick out betel nuts in exchange for chewing – betel nuts are already fully integrated into the lives of the locals.
Betel nut contains a rather special substance called "betel nut", which is a substance that can directly act on the central nervous system, making people feel extremely strong pleasure and direct addiction.
Chronic substance abuse has become one of the world's major threats to public health and social security, and betel nut has been ranked as the world's most common fourth psychoactive substance (after nicotine, alcohol and caffeinated beverages), and 600 million people worldwide chew betel nut, and its addictive nature is self-evident.
The director of the Department of Stomatology at Xiangya Medical College was blunt:
"Why you get oral cancer, how you get oral cancer, the whole world has not solved. But betel nut causes cancer, that's for sure. ”
Nowadays, the medical community and the industry have a lot of disagreement on the matter of "whether betel nut causes cancer", and there is even a big fight.
But one thing is certain, that is, the public has gradually reached a consensus that "chewing betel nut is not good for health".
On September 17, 2021, the fast-growing betel nut industry was stumbled. The mainland no longer allows radio and various channels to promote betel nut.
The article, known as the "betel nut advertising ban", caused an uproar, and many betel nut production enterprises in Hunan Province rapidly reduced their scale, laid off employees and cut wages, and many second-phase projects were directly stopped.
Since 1997, when the betel nut enterprise "Huangye Betel Nut" first entered the attention of Hunan people, betel nut seems to have encountered little resistance.
In 2003, the domineering slogan of "Who dares to be the emperor except Xuan" was also deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
In recent years, the betel nut brand has begun to sponsor the NBA professional basketball league in the United States, sponsor domestic e-sports competitions, and sell them on the spot.
Betel nut is increasingly showing a trend of "youthfulness".
Some businesses also flaunt the banner of "health" and "health", resulting in the increasing popularity of betel nut.
In fact, in 2019, as mentioned above, Hunan Province issued an order to ban propaganda, but many companies did not comply, and as a result, they were applauded in 2021.
The future development of the betel nut industry is unknown.
Epilogue:
In 2013, the article "The "Face Cutter" in the Kingdom of Betel Nut" became popular throughout the country, and the article showed the world a group of patients with oral cancer caused by long-term chewing of betel nut.
"Most of his left face has been 'cut off', and oral cancer surgery a year ago cut off his left jaw, left gum and lymph. The shrunken skin sank into a deep pit the size of a fist. After the operation, he suffered compression of the nerve in his left eye and is now completely blind. ”
The article does not exaggerate anything, but it is already creepy to read.
Betel nut and cancer can no longer be solved.
As for the future development of betel nut, this is another matter.
Resources:
Two southern provinces, why is it difficult to quit "betel nut addiction"
Daily Worker. Betel nut: "Death" or "money" should not be a choice
Guangming Net. If you do not eat betel nut, it is advisable to form a trend as soon as possible
Guangming Net. Betel nut advertising can't stop inexplicably
Is betel nut going to destroy the jobs of millions of people, or will it kill many more?
China Daily. Behind the request to remove the shelves in many places, what happened to the betel nut industry with an output value of hundreds of billions?
First-class carcinogen betel nut has been selling for a long time, and many market supervision departments require it to be removed, experts: sales should indicate the harm
Daily economic news. Addiction, carcinogenic, kicked out of the "food group" ... Who regulates "non-food" betel nuts?