Betel Nut Beauties

[Mik]

Ew.

[Renauda]

I once had to chaperone to meetings in Calgary some oil men from Oil India following the International Oil Show in Calgary. One of them constantly chewed betel nut. It reeked. Have no idea how the agency got the smell of out of the rented van we used. Awful stuff and I was a cigarette smoker in those days!

[Axtremus]

Documentary:

Link to video

Interviews:

Link to video

It's a sunsetting industry, more betel nut beauties have to change jobs, some become YouTubers/TikTokers or equivalent. The video mentions that the Taiwanese government has released health reports that link betel but chewing to oral cancers.

[Renauda]

At any given time, my wife has at least a couple of habitual betel nut users as head and neck cancer patients. She says though she has far fewer now than when she started 20 years ago.

[George K]

@Renauda said in Betel Nut Beauties:

my wife has at least a couple of habitual betel nut users as head and neck cancer patients

Interesting...and sad.

Like the tobacco chewers, I imagine.

[Renauda]

You imagine right. However the betel nut habit has a distinct and measurable gender and ethnic aspect to it.

[George K]

I HATED head and neck cancers. "Back in the day," the only therapy was really really radical surgery - with questionable results.

[Renauda]

Yes, my wife has to deal with the results of radical surgeries followed by radiation therapy. Sometimes there is little left to
work with as far as rehab med goes.

[George K]

@Renauda said in Betel Nut Beauties:

radical surgeries

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commando_Operation

[Renauda]

Just asked her about that “procedure”. Her answer was:

“Oh yeah, unfortunately lot’s like that. They come to our hospital after the surgeons have finished with them. Our radiation oncologists just don’t call it by that name”.