Middle schools can sell beer and betel nut

Cannot:

The "Minor Protection Law" stipulates: "Selling tobacco and alcohol to minors, or failing to set up a prominent position not to sell tobacco and alcohol to minors." , the competent department shall order corrections and impose administrative penalties in accordance with the law. "

"Liquor Circulation Management Measures" stipulate that alcohol operators shall not sell alcohol products to minors and shall do so in a prominent location on the business premises. Express. The revised measures issued in 2012 further clearly stated that "for minors to purchase alcohol, merchants may require purchasers to present their ID cards when necessary."

Drinking by minors is very harmful

A person’s tolerance to alcohol is closely related to their physical constitution. Minors are in the growth and development stage, and various body tissues are immature. , various organs, especially the digestive system, are still very delicate and are sensitive to various foreign body stimuli and cannot bear too much irritating substances. Obviously irritating alcohol can cause damage to liver function and gastric indigestion. The nervous system and brain of minors are not yet mature. Even if they drink a small amount at one time, when the alcohol reaches the brain with the blood, it will easily inhibit or damage the brain cells and nervous system, resulting in the rapid development of functions during their development period. ——Language and intelligence are damaged, and vision, hearing, and touch are not as sensitive as before; it also causes distraction, memory loss, and affects learning.

The results of a study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences show that the proportion of behavioral problems among drinking teenagers is significantly higher than that of non-drinking students, such as difficulty concentrating (highed 47, prone to disputes with others (high 98), and prone to suicide) Tendency is high 182, and difficulty getting along with other children is high 81. Under the stimulation of alcohol, people easily become manic and delirious. In addition, teenagers have poor self-control ability. After drinking alcohol, they easily become impulsive, which can easily lead to various accidents and even life-threatening incidents, such as stealing forbidden fruits and having sex with others. Fights, robberies, rapes, driving without authorization, etc.

Betel nut: It is the betel nut fruit produced on the betel nut tree. Freshly picked betel nut, oval, green, also known as "green fruit". The "green fruit" is divided into two halves, the core is removed, and the lime wrapped in lily flowers (sold as palm leaves) is added to make the commonly eaten betel nut. Although the taste is bitter and astringent, it makes the mouth fluid, refreshing, and makes the mouth full of bright red, giving it a unique flavor. In my country, betel nut chewing is mainly popular in Taiwan, Hunan, Hainan, Fujian and other places.

However, betel nut, which is so popular, was actually identified as a Level 1 carcinogen by the International Center for Research on Cancer as early as 2004.

Betel nut can cause cancer, this is not an alarmist statement

Many studies have shown that regular chewing of betel nut will significantly increase the possibility of oral mucosal lesions and increase the incidence of oral cancer.

In countries and regions where betel nut is popular, the incidence rate of oral cancer is among the highest. India is the country that consumes the most betel nut and has the highest incidence rate of oral cancer in the world. In Papua New Guinea, where nearly 60% of residents chew betel nut, the country has the second-highest rate of oral cancer in the world. Solomon Island, which has the third highest incidence rate of oral cancer in the world, also has a high rate of betel nut chewing. In Taiwan, where betel nut chewing is popular, the incidence of oral cancer is also very high, with 27.4 cases of oral cancer per 100,000 male residents.

A researcher analyzed 152 betel nut chewers and 137 betel nut chewers and found that 84.4% of the betel nut chewers suffered from oral mucosal lesions, which was much higher than the 37.2% of the non-betel nut chewers. Another group of studies showed that 66% of betel nut chewers had oral mucosal lesions, while only 1.5% of non-betel nut chewers had oral mucosal lesions. At the same time, more than 20% of the oral mucosal lesions of betel nut chewers were precancerous lesions.

Why does betel nut cause cancer?

So why does betel nut cause oral cancer? There are three main reasons:

Physical damage: When chewing betel nut, the friction of betel nut fibers will cause local trauma and mucosal damage to the oral mucosa. Chewing betel nut for a long time will cause the damage to linger and form local chronic damage, thereby causing chronic inflammation, enhanced oxidation and cell proliferation. Studies have shown that the frequency of oral mucosal cell shedding in people who chew betel nut is significantly increased.

Biological toxicity: Betel nut contains a large amount of polyphenols and a variety of alkaloids, of which arecoline is the most important component, accounting for about 1% of the net weight of dry betel nut. Arecoline can significantly promote the apoptosis of epithelial cells and interfere with the precipitation and degradation process of extracellular matrix macromolecules (collagen, elastin, etc.). In addition, lychee and lime chewed together with betel nut also have certain genotoxicity. Mainly due to the synergistic effects of nitrosamines, clove polyphenols, and active oxidants contained in it.

Tobacco and tobacco jointly promote cancer: Simply chewing betel nut can significantly promote the occurrence of oral cancer, and betel nut lovers who smoke at the same time have a higher chance of developing oral cancer. Smoking itself is also a separate risk factor for oral cancer. Studies have shown that chewing betel nut containing tobacco will significantly increase the toxic substances in saliva, which will have a significant damaging effect on cellular DNA synthesis and other processes.

What are precancerous lesions of oral cancer?

Oral cancer is a general term for malignant tumors that occur in the oral cavity. Among malignant tumors derived from various tissues, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common. Precancerous lesions of oral cancer refer to some lesions of the oral mucosa. Although they are not yet cancers, they have obvious malignant potential to become oral cancer.

Chewing betel nut is closely related to oral submucosal fibrosis, oral leukoplakia, oral erythema, etc. These are all clinical manifestations of precancerous lesions, which can occur anywhere in the oral cavity, and are most likely to occur in the tongue, cheeks and gingival mucosa. Typically appears as thickened, rough red or white/off-white patches. It is usually not painful, but there may be a burning sensation and possibly ulceration. Among them, erythema has the highest canceration rate, which can reach 51%. For related pictures, please click: "Manifestations of Precancerous Lesions"

In addition, if oral ulcers persist for more than 2 weeks and have not disappeared, and continue to worsen, you also need to be vigilant. Regardless of whether you chew betel nut or not, if you have the above symptoms, please go to the mucosal department of the dental hospital for examination as soon as possible.

Other hazards of chewing betel nut

In addition to the risk of oral cancer, chewing betel nut can also cause other effects.

Bad on the teeth themselves: long-term chewing of betel nut can cause serious wear and tear on the teeth.

Bad for periodontal health: Betel nut juice mixed with lime can easily form dental calculus, which not only affects the appearance, but also affects periodontal health. The fiber of betel nut is thick and hard, and may also puncture the gums or block the gaps between teeth, causing pressure on the gums and inflammation.

It is not good for the oral mucosa: it may cause mucosal lesions in mild cases, and may evolve into oral cancer in severe cases.

4. Not good for the temporomandibular joint: long-term chewing will increase the load on the temporomandibular joint, causing joint snapping, pain and other symptoms. In severe cases, it can also lead to perforation of the articular disc.

5. Impact on the digestive system: Some components of betel nut can damage taste nerves and saliva secretion, affecting digestive function. In addition, betel nut residue can also irritate the gastric wall, which can lead to inflammation of the gastric mucosa and even perforation.

In India, where betel nut is popular, commercially produced betel nuts have been required to bear obvious warning labels, just like "Smoking is harmful to health." In the United States, the transportation of betel nut between states has been strictly prohibited since 1976. In Canada, the sale of betel nut products is directly prohibited.