Betel chewing is a habit of an estimated one-tenth of the world’s population, and betel is the fourth most common psychoactive drug in the world, following nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine. This red residue is the telltale sign of the betel nut , which is chewed by millions of people across the globe. In its most basic form, betel nut is a seed of the Areca catechu, a type of palm tree. Betel nut chewing, also called betel quid chewing or areca nut chewing, is a practice in which areca nuts (also called "betel nuts ") are chewed together with slaked lime and betel leaves for their stimulant and narcotic effects, the primary psychoactive compound being arecoline.
