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• At that stage, the areca nut can only be sliced using a special scissors-like cutter (known as aakattera in Telugu, adake kattari in Kannada,bajjeai in Tulu, adakitta [] in Marathi, puwak [] in Sinhala, jaanti in Bengali, adakka in Malayalam, pakku () in Tamil, sarautaa in Hindi, Khilikaati in Odia, and sudi in Gujarati).

• The areca nut contains the tannins arecatannin and gallic acid; a fixed oil gum; a little terpineol; lignin; various saline substances; and three main alkaloids arecoline, arecaidine and guvacine all of which have vasoconstricting properties.

• It constitutes an important and popular cultural activity in many Asian and Oceanic countries, including Pakistan, the Maldives, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Palau, Yap, Guam, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

• In 2003 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a World Health Organization sponsored group, reached the conclusion that there is sufficient evidence that the habit of chewing betel quid, with or without tobacco, is carcinogenic to humans.

• In Guam and the neighboring Northern Mariana Islands, betel and areca nut chewing is a social pastime as a means to extend friendship, and can be found in many, if not most, large gatherings as part of the food display.

Here are some other news items:^{credits to u-sr33}

• ‘What’s needed now is an arecanut board’

• Inside Taiwan's trade where 'betel nut beauties' sell fruit to drivers

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