The appearance of betel nut chewing gum may also be another revelation: betel nut and the habit of eating betel nut may not disappear overnight. Rather than "uprooting" all at once, it is better to change customs and public education to gradually keep betel nut away from people. daily life, allowing more people to develop healthy living habits.

　　Recently, with the strengthening of betel nut sales supervision in many places, betel nut has caused heated discussions again.

In addition to the common betel nut products, some media found that many e-commerce platforms have products with betel nut extract as raw materials, such as betel nut chewing gum.

Some dealers said that the betel nut chewing gum currently on sale uses technology to eliminate the harmful substances of traditional betel nut, so there is no need to worry about health problems.

"The taste is worse than that of betel nut, but relatively speaking, it does not hurt the body and can be used as a substitute for betel nut."

　　Previously, the 36-year-old singer Fu Song died of oral cancer, making the issue of betel nut cancer the focus of public opinion.

According to reports, since mid-September this year, many places have successively issued documents requiring food operators not to sell betel nut products as food.

All of a sudden, the call for a "complete ban on the sale of betel nut" grew louder.

　　Under such a background, the so-called betel nut chewing gum was born, and some associations can not help but make people think: is this betel nut reviving its soul?

Many netizens left messages under related news, criticizing betel nut chewing gum as betel nut wearing a "vest".

Some people even said, did some merchants grind betel nut into powder and wrap it in chewing gum?

　　The truth remains to be verified by relevant departments and experts.

However, on the other hand, the statement that the betel nut chewing gum determined by the dealers is "harmless" also needs to be certified and inspected by authoritative authorities, and must not become the "self-talk" of the merchants.

Some dealers said that the technology of betel nut extraction has matured, and many local enterprises in Hainan are using it, most of which are used to produce betel nut chewing gum.

So, is the extracted betel nut the "original" betel nut?

In this regard, the public may wish to remain patient and wait for the relevant parties to give a truth that can withstand scrutiny.

　　As we all know, betel nut is not a snack, but a highly addictive first-class carcinogen.

It is not difficult to see the tragic situation of oral cancer due to betel nut from online videos and pictures. These lessons remind us that the harm of betel nut to human health is objective.

Therefore, the worries of netizens about betel nut chewing gum are not superfluous.

If betel nut can really be transformed into daily food such as chewing gum, but the harmful substances in it cannot be fundamentally eliminated, then it may spread to all aspects of daily life more conveniently in a secret way, affecting a wider range of people. Crowds, this is by no means trivial to ignore.

　　According to reports, a company that produces betel nut chewing gum went public in May this year. So far, the company's total sales have reached more than 30 million yuan.

Another company only started selling betel nut chewing gum last year, and it is said that it sells more than 1,000 online sales per day.

In this way, the development of this emerging industry is not bad.

So, will the "popularity" of betel nut chewing gum promote the transformation of the betel nut industry in disguise, and even give betel nut a new way out?

　　Industrial transformation involves many factors such as employment and tradition. Betel nut is not a problem that can be easily solved by a "total ban on sales". Especially in areas that love betel nut, dealing with betel nut is a complex social issue.

The emergence of betel nut chewing gum may also be another revelation: betel nut and the habit of eating betel nut may not disappear overnight. Rather than "uprooting" all at once, it may be better to change customs and public education to gradually keep betel nut away. People's daily life, let more people develop healthy living habits.

Chengdu Commercial Daily-Red Star News Special Commentator Yu Xiao

　　"Chengdu Business Daily" October 14, 2022 Edition 04