Use of betel nut in young children

Use of betel nut in young children

By Safia Rafiq

During a training program conducted in a school, it was inquired about the use of betel nut from school children in daily routine. It was observed that 65 percent of them were using bête nut. Some of them were using 2 to 3 small size of packet and some of them were using 7 to 8 once a day. Children also reported that sometimes, they used betel nut in front of their family and sometimes, they hid from their parents.
It is a great concern for all of us that the use of betel nut in young children is rapidly increasing. Betel nut is easily available at tuck shop on cheap prices. A single small packet costs 1 rupee and young children can easily buy that.
Another great concern is that their families do not consider the use of betel nut as addiction. In some families, mothers, sisters and elder brothers also use it and send these innocent children to tuck shop to buy betel nut for their use. They put the example of using betel nut for them and as a result, these young children also test it. Though, this betel nut (supari) gives sweet taste, therefore, children like it very much.
Unfortunately, they become addicted to these supari (betel nut) that gradually and slowly impair their health. It was also reported by the children that after continuous use of betel nut, they had headache and chest pain. They lost their interest in studies too.
No one is paying attention to this problem. Perhaps, we are living in supari and gutka culture. When elder do not hesitate to take gutka and betel nut then it is not possible for these young children to be stayed away from that. In order to prevent our young children from drug addiction and use of supari and to eliminate supari and gutka culture, we all will have to work together.