Areca nut promotion crackdown but sales shall remain
Workers process areca nuts at a factory in Wanning, Hainan Province.
Promotion of the areca nut, which is cancer-inducing and the fourth most addictive substance in the world after tobacco, alcohol and caffeine, has been banned by China's National Radio and Television Administration.
Mostly consumed in a dried form, the nut contains arecoline that acts on the central nervous system, and is a mild stimulant.
However, it is considered a group-1 carcinogen, an agent which causes cancer in humans, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization.
The agency required a thorough implementation of the order on radio and TV in a bid to "protect people's interests and create a good communication environment."
Though harmful to health, it has brought considerable economic benefits and becomes a pillar industry in both Hunan and Hainan provinces.
The former is the central areca nut processing province, while the latter produces more than 95 percent of China's supply.
There are an estimated 100 million areca nut consumers in China, and Hunan Province alone contributes almost 26 million, accounting for one-third of the total population of Hunan.
The areca nut industry also provided thousands of job opportunities and sponsors numerous galas and variety shows in Hunan.
