Alarm sounded over Myanmar's betel habit

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Alarm sounded over Myanmar's betel habit

Yangon (AFP) - As he manoeuvres his taxi through the barely moving traffic of downtown Yangon, Myo Min Htaike's jaw methodically pounds a pulpy mass of nuts and tobacco, his teeth stained a dark blood-red.

Plying his trade in the seemingly eternal gridlock of Myanmar's now booming commercial hub, he is more than used to spending long days on the roads and "kun ja" -- better known as betel nut or quid -- is the one thing that keeps him going.

"I'm so sleepy when I start driving the taxi," the 32-year-old tells AFP. "So I eat kun ja to help me stay awake."

Kun ja is an enormously popular stimulant chewed throughout Myanmar.

But it comes with a long list of serious health downsides including addiction, deeply stained gums and a high risk of mouth cancer.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/alarm-sounded-over-myanmars-betel-habit-065438476.html

[BuaBS]

I see potential here . Bottle it and name it KunJa bull ( red bull enhanced with kun ja).

[bluebluewater]

It's one of the things that really put me off about Myanmar.

People spitting all the time and just about any where they want to. You have be careful where you walk to avoid the spittle. I would be sitting having a glass of ale and in would walk someone, reach under their table for the small trash basket that is under every table, and this nasty crap would be spit out before they got their own beer.

Nasty. Very nasty. I did not think much of it.

[maoro2013]

Try Papua New Guinea for betel nut. Is one of the items counted when measuring CPI there

[Roota]

Used to see a lot of it in rural Thailand despite long-term government efforts to discourage it. I think what finally did it in was that a younger generation (basically, mine) decided that it was unsightly and uncool. You still sometimes see old people chewing in Isaan and the North, but nobody under the age of about 65.

[maderaroja]

I see potential here . Bottle it and name it KunJa bull ( red bull enhanced with kun ja).

The Burmese version of Coca Cola, right?

[ggt]

Nasty stuff...few Air Vietnam back in the day...an old Vietnamese lady sitting next to me spit the red goo into a bag all the way...black/reddish teeth...slobber dripping down her chin and on to her black dress...she was a mess...and by the time we go to Saigon...so was I...

[wabothai]

never seen it in Isaan.

[sammygood]

mix the spit with water

and you get some kind of coca cola, est & pepsi kinda flavor