India reports an unusually high amount of throat, head, neck and cheek cancer. Why? Researchers attribute this to the common practice of chewing betel nut and using tobacco.

In Sri Lanka, cancer of the esophagus reportedly is quite common, with almost twice as many women as men suffering from it. Investigation revealed two main causes. Chewing betel nut and smoking certainly contributed.

It is encouraging that some of the fastest-spreading kinds of cancer can be largely avoided merely by not smoking or by not chewing betel nut.