Betel addiction in Pakistani children — an evil that needs to be stopped

Madam, as the world s population continues to expand, the rate of addictive habits and the diseases associated with them are also increasing. The use of addictive substances is becoming a major health concern amongst the Asian children. In South Asian countries like Pakistan, with a current population of 190 million,1 addictive habits show a progressive upward climb. Addiction to substances like betel quid, areca nut, areca palm, betel palm, cigarette smoking and crushed areca/betel nut (gutka) is becoming very common in Pakistan, especially in Karachi. The more frequently abused substance is betel quid, which is the leaf of a vine, the Piper betel. In Pakistan, betel quid (tam baku wala paan) is betel leaf filled with areca nut (a psychoactive agent), tobacco,spices and slaked lime. The leaf is chewed by more than 10% of the people worldwide who are mostly uneducated and belong to the low socioeconomic class.