Around three people in Sri Lanka die every day from oral cancer caused by chewing betel leaves, according to Professor Hemantha Amarasinghe of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
Professor Amarasinghe described betel chewing as a harmful habit, noting with concern that even some university students have taken it up. He warned that betel leaves mixed with tobacco and chalk contain carcinogenic substances that significantly increase the risk of developing oral cancer.
