Post #243918 by Chrisc on Wed, Jul 19, 2006 3:49 PM

I was somewhat addicted to betel chewing for a few months a few years ago.. was introduced to it by Asian work colleagues. It is readily available from local Asian shops in Bury Park, the asian quarter of Luton. It is available in several different brands, some of which (eg 'Pan Parag' are betel-and-flavourings only, others contain tobacco as well (and are the more addictive). All are very cheap to buy.. it is a much cheaper habit than smoking, but does you no good in the long run. I'm sure I chipped one or two teeth slightly as a result of chewing. One of my Tamil work colleagues was very heavily addicted to 'Manikchand',a leading tobacco-laced brand, and ended up consuming wholesale-sized boxes of it. He eventually developed a pre-cancerous condition of the mouth and stopped: he seems to have done this just in time, for he has now recovered. As with any drug, my advice is, by all means try it, but proceed with caution, remember there's more to life, and make sure YOU stay on top of IT, and not the other way round.

CHRIS