It seems to be the regional drug of choice. A stimulant, so says the guide book, from some local plant that grows on the island. The seed-pod is plucked, the nut extracted and chewed, spitting the saliva it causes you to create. It also has the effect of staining one's teeth red-brown.
The stains are on everyone: men, women, children that I would think would be barely out of elementary school. It's somewhat omnipresent. (Easily a third of the people I saw at market and the grocery had evident stains on their teeth.) Even the roads are stained with the bright red splatters of the spit from users. I've not seen anyone I could tell was on the substance, but I don't know how potent it is.
One of the local missionaries says that it's addictive, but I don't know if it is physiologically or psychologically addictive. (And I find it amusing that coffee and caffeine are just fine, but any other stimulant is to be treated with suspicion.) A bit further study on it will help.
I've seen what I think is it being sold from little stands on the side of the road. It's a small, green pods. Usually set apart from other stands. I can't tell if there's a native stigma to it or if the stigma on it is because white-man put it there. It is forbidden in a number of places, but it seems that may be to prevent the red stains and possibly the problems with intoxicated users.
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It does, for what it's worth, contribute to very nasty oral cancers. Big study on that came out in past few months. Hasn't changed anything in most countries that use it.
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