Text/Editor: Yu Xiaoran's notes
I believe many boys like to eat betel nut.
Some women also like to chew and eat when they have nothing to do, but anyone who watches the man's mouth move all the time on the road is either chewing gum or betel nut!
However, I wondered, is this all that good? I've eaten it once, and my mouth is rotten!
But what to say, you can't eat food, you can't drink wine, and you can't eat things!
I don't know if you've heard that sentence, betel nut and cigarettes, ascend to heaven early, that thing eats too much is really good, don't believe it, look at the real stories and experiences of these people, some of them lost their faces and tongues because of eating that.
Even they themselves call themselves expired hammers!
In recent years, the story of the "betel nut four" has been widely circulated on the Internet, and they have used their own tragic experience to warn the public to stay away from betel nut, but they have been met with many doubts and ridicule.
Behind their stories is a health warning that cannot be ignored.
The magic and dangers of betel nut
"Betel nut and cigarettes, the mana is boundless." This saying, which circulates among betel nut lovers, vividly describes the "feeling of top" brought by betel nut.
The main betel nut is not like wine, sometimes it will be shown on the face if you drink too much, some people will blush when they drink it, and some will vomit if they drink too much, but betel nut unless the condition is particularly obvious, otherwise it is difficult to see!
In 2007, 26-year-old Fu Song broke into the public's field of vision by participating in "Happy Boys".
Although he only won the top 20 in the Changsha Division in the end, this stage gave him hope of becoming a professional singer.
In the following years, Fu Song released his own singles and albums, and even won the Most Popular Male Singer Award in Guangzhou. His music career seems to be booming.
But Fu Song has an unknown habit of chewing betel nut, a seemingly harmless little hobby, but it has become the culprit who ruined his musical dreams and life.
In 2021, Fu Song was diagnosed with oral cancer, and in order to survive, he had to undergo surgery to remove part of his right face, leaving a hideous scar.
His once handsome face was completely disfigured, and to make matters worse, he lost his most valuable asset, his voice, as a singer.
After the operation, Fu Song could no longer sing on stage, but he did not give up.
He began to share his experience on the short video platform, hoping to warn more people who are addicted to betel nut like him.
But the harsh reality is that cancer didn't let him go because of his efforts.
In September 2022, Fu Song, who was only 36 years old, passed away, and he became another bloody example of betel nut carcinogenesis.
Because the alkaloids contained in betel nut are released during chewing, they can stimulate the central nervous system to excite and produce a sense of pleasure.
This feeling makes many people want to stop, and gradually forms a habit, which is a bit like the feeling of drugs, once you get it, it is difficult to quit!
But behind this seemingly innocuous habit, there are huge health risks.
Areca nut has been classified as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization, and long-term chewing may lead to a variety of cancers such as oral cancer, esophageal cancer, etc. In addition, due to the hardness of betel nut, long-term chewing can also cause physical damage to the oral mucosa, causing symptoms such as mouth ulcers and skin fibrosis.
The tragic fate of the "betel nut four".
The "Areca Nut Four" are four betel nut victims who have appeared online and shared their experiences through short video platforms in an attempt to wake more people away from betel nut, but their stories are heart-wrenching.
Robin van Persie (not his real name) was a healthy young man who developed oral cancer from chewing betel nut for a long time.
In the process of battling the disease, his weight plummeted from 140 pounds to more than 70 pounds, and in April 2023, at the age of 41, he passed away forever.
His wife still runs his social media accounts and hopes to continue spreading the word to stay away from betel nut.
Brother Zhang is the most silent of the "Big Four", and in one of his few videos, he is always seen lying in a hospital bed for treatment. Although he actively cooperated with the treatment, he finally passed away on the evening of December 2, 2023, at the age of 35.
The Bin Guy is probably the most active of the "Big Four".
Not only did he shoot the video himself, but he also invited other betel nut victims to participate and persuade people to stay away from betel nut in various ways.
On April 10, 2024, the sad news of the death of Brother Binbin, who was only 25 years old.
Ah Hong is the only "survivor" of the "Big Four".
He underwent an eight-hour operation to remove part of his tongue and leave a long scar on his neck. Although he was spared, he lost his sense of taste and was unable to speak or eat normally.
Now Ah Hong has changed the name of his account to "Ah Hong's Rebirth", and continues to call on the public to stay away from betel nut.
Questioning and insisting
The video of the "betel nut four" has attracted widespread attention online, but it has also attracted a lot of doubts and ridicule.
Some people think that they are "selling miserably", some people say that they "have eaten fake betel nuts", and some people insist that they are fine after chewing betel nuts for decades.
In the face of these doubts, Ah Hong and others did not flinch.
They continue to spread the word about the dangers of betel nut through various means, hoping to wake up more people.
"I don't have any commercial interest in doing this, I just want everyone to be healthy," Hong said in a video.
Social Impact and Reflection
The story of the "betel nut four" has sparked a wide discussion in society, and not only them, but more betel nut victims have come forward.
In some areas, there has even been a phenomenon of selling betel nuts to minors.
A typical example is 25-year-old Xiao Jiao, who started chewing betel nut at the age of 17 and was eventually forced to have her whole tongue removed at the age of flowers.
These bloody lessons make people ask: why is betel nut so harmful, but it has not been completely banned?
In fact, there is a huge chain of interests behind the betel nut industry, taking Hunan as an example, the betel nut processing industry provides a lot of employment opportunities and economic income for the local people.
Nowadays, people go to buy betel nuts, dozens of yuan a pack, but some merchants in order to make money, sometimes let you connect in the middle, in the middle of the middle to get too much, get too much, don't you have to eat, eat and eat can not stop, the purpose of the business has been achieved, you are also comfortable!
So this complex relationship of interests makes it difficult to ban betel nut completely.
However, economic interests should not take precedence over public health, and the government, medical institutions, education departments and other parties should work together to curb the abuse of betel nut at the source.
At the same time, strengthening public education and raising health awareness are also important ways to reduce the harm of betel nut.
In many countries, such as Canada and Australia, betel nut is even recognized as a drug and banned by many European and American countries.
The comments of netizens on this are also polarizing!
When you eat betel nut in your mouth, your throat is hard, you feel that it is difficult to get out, and the taste is a little sweet, I don't know how it feels, why do so many people like it? It's still expensive!
My buddies eat one by one every day, and it's been several years, and there's nothing going on!
Foreign countries have banned it, why hasn't China banned it?
The importance of personal choice
Although efforts at the social level are important, it takes everyone's consciousness to finally get away from betel nut.
As Ah Hong said, "Health is precious, and once you lose it, it's hard to get it back."
For people who have already developed the habit of chewing betel nut, it is not easy to quit.
Betel nut is as addictive as cigarettes, and the longer you chew it and the larger the amount, the harder it is to quit. However, for the sake of your own health and that of your family, the painstaking process is worth it.
For those who have not yet come into contact with betel nut, especially young people, it should be taken as a warning.
Don't blindly follow the trend because of a moment of curiosity, think that others chew betel nut is handsome, and try it yourself, because once you form a habit, the consequences can be devastating.
epilogue
The story of the "Areca Nut" is a cautionary tale about life, health and choice. They use their own experience to tell us that health is the most valuable wealth in life, and once lost, it is difficult to recover.
In the face of the temptation of betel nut, each of us should be cautious.
Don't take chances and think that you won't be the "unlucky" person, because when misfortune does come, it's too late to regret it.
Let's work together to create a healthy society without the shadow of betel nut.
Cherish life and stay away from betel nut, so that more dreams can be realized and more lives can bloom. This is not only an attitude of responsibility for oneself, but also for one's family and society as a whole.
Only when everyone is health-conscious and actively stays away from harmful substances can we truly achieve the goal of health for all. Let's make the right choices for ourselves, our families, and our society from now on.
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The source of the content of this article is: [Douyin] [Baidu Encyclopedia]