Perception of the Students toward Betel Nut Chewing

Abstract

The study was conducted in the different colleges of Benguet State University. Fifty students who engaged in betel nut chewing were interviewed at random upon identifying to be positive chewing betel nut. End-users of betel nut were found to be of middle age 21-25 and majorities belong to Ibaloi tribe. They were interviewed when found in cluster enjoying the sharing of the mixture preferred. Betel chewer was found to be 100% male. They were single and take the betel nut with tobacco and lime as their favorite mixture. The students do not have definite time to chew. They take it anytime when they are given the opportunity to do so. They use a bottle to spit the betel nut chewing to prevent the unsanitary appearance on the surroundings of our school. The practice significantly influenced by peers and friends who claimed to have positive refreshing effects to themselves. They ignore the adverse effect of betel nut into their health. The students detect betel nut chewing as alternate to cigarette smoking. The consumption and their expenditure revealed that student who wants to influence spend more of the expenditure while those take as for friendship purpose will spend less. Further, the availability of the betel nut commonly availed from sidewalk vendors and those students with plantation in their homeland.