Glittering potentially malignant shell: Arecanut

Abstract

Areca nut is consumed extensively throughout the world with significant public health and oral implications. This habit is more prevalent amid communities belonging to India and the South-East Asia region (SEAR). In the past few decades, surveys have reported that consuming areca nut has increased among population and a high proportion of school children use areca-nut daily in some form. Low cost, easy availability, advertising, role modeling, social acceptance and perception of areca nut as harmless is what contributes to its use. Areca nut users are at high risk of oral submucous fibrosis, a debilitating and potentially malignant condition and also suffer adverse health outcomes. Though industrially made areca nut products have been banned in all states and union territories of India, but it is still widely available. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control provides evidence-based policies for reducing tobacco use, but no global policy exists for the control of areca nut use. Associative research is needed to sermon this nugatory global public health emergency and to mobilize efforts to control areca nut use. In addition, possible prevention and cessation programs for areca nut users, effective actions to increase awareness regarding health risks among general public and to minimize its use both at personal and government levels should be undertaken.