On April 18, Southeast Net (article/picture of our reporter) recently, Southeast Net reported the article "Areca nuts are frequently seen around Fuzhou campus: primary school students can buy them in 30 seconds", focusing on the phenomenon of selling betel nuts around Fuzhou primary and secondary schools, causing social concern. What about the situation in other cities? Recently, Southeast Net reporters visited the provincial market in multiple ways and found that the situation of betel nut around the campus was very common in all parts of the country, and many parents were worried. 
Outside a school in Nanping, merchants set up "exclusive" areca shelves outside the store Areca nut "off campus" can be seen in many places Areca nuts are on sale around many campuses in Quanzhou, with more or less placed. On Aiguo Road, 200 meters away from Tongzheng Central Primary School, two bags of betel nuts were placed next to the cash register. The retail prices on the packages showed 30 yuan and 50 yuan respectively. At a convenience store near Quanzhou Experimental Primary School, many bags of betel nuts were placed on the top shelf. The shopkeeper said it was to reduce the impact on children. Jianyang children in Nanping City visit the gate of Chi'an Primary School. Within 100 meters, there are 3 stores selling betel nuts. Some stores set the "exclusive" shelf of betel nut outside the store door; Some stores are full of betel nuts on both sides of the door, and there are large betel nut advertisements on the glass door, which can be seen from afar. In Putian, the reporter visited Linfeng Primary School, Meifeng Primary School, Xing'an Primary School, Putian No. 1 Middle School, Putian No. 9 Middle School, Liqing Middle School and other schools, and found many stores selling betel nuts. In Sanming, at the crossing of Madao Street, 100 meters away from the city's experimental primary school, a prominent betel nut advertisement was set up above a convenience store, where cigarettes, wine, betel nuts and snacks were sold separately, allegedly to make a difference. During the interview, journalists from all walks of life asked the merchants about the consumer groups of betel nuts. Most of the clerks were very alert, saying that no students bought betel nuts. However, the real situation is not optimistic. At about 5:30 p.m. on April 15, at the Meiyijia convenience store near Longyan Songtao Primary School and Longyan Senior High School, a pupil in school uniform came into the store to buy a packet of "Zhang Xinfa" Xiangtan betel nuts with a retail price of 5 yuan. The clerk collected the money without making any relevant inquiries. When the reporter questioned whether he knew he could not sell betel nuts to minors, the clerk said that he thought they were for parents, so he sold them to him. 
Near Sanmingyi School, there are eye-catching betel nut advertisements above the shop There are few restrictions on e-commerce platforms The reporter also checked a number of e-commerce platforms and found that many areca products are dazzling, including green fruit areca, coffee areca, explosive pearl areca, medlar areca, soy sauce areca and other categories, which can be quickly delivered by placing an order and paying, without special restrictions on whether the buyer is an adult. In Fuzhou, Meituan takeout is targeted. In addition to Wanjia Convenience Store, Liuyi Convenience Store and Jingdong Convenience Store, which have dense stores, areca nuts are on sale. There are Yike Convenience Store, 7+Convenience Store, Mr. Convenience Store, Xinwanchao Cultural Convenience (Chenguang Stationery), Jiasheng Stationery Convenience Store, Michon Hamster Supermarket, Ness Best Life Supermarket, etc. Buyers can place orders at any time according to regions and preferences. The positioning has been adjusted to Putian, Nanping, Ningde, Sanming, Quanzhou and other places. Many stores also provide areca takeaway. In addition to Meituan, the reporter also tried Yonghui, Park Park, Wal Mart, RT Mart and other online platforms, but there was no areca sales. However, most e-commerce platforms, such as Hungry, Duoduo, Taobao, Jingdong, Pinduoduo and so on, have complete goods. Some can choose instant delivery, while others can only pick up the goods the next day. Even leisure fish have betel nuts to buy. Areca nut is popular all over the province, except Xiamen. When locating Xiamen to search for betel nuts on the take away platform, the prompt "search results are empty" appears. However, this does not prevent those who want to buy from Taobao, JD and other platforms. 
Areca is freely sold on e-commerce platform, and the age of buyers is unlimited Parents appeal to ban the sale of betel nuts As early as 1996, Xiamen issued the Provisions on the Prohibition of the Production, Sale and Consumption of Areca in Xiamen. No unit or individual is allowed to produce, sell and eat Areca in the jurisdiction of Xiamen. Once it is found that Areca is produced and sold in Xiamen, it will be fined between 1000 yuan and 10000 yuan. However, in recent years, the media has also repeatedly exposed the private sale of betel nuts by Xiamen merchants, and the local market supervision department has punished them. The reporter interviewed a number of parents randomly around the school and expressed surprise at the sales of betel nuts around the school. Outside Quanzhou Experimental Primary School, a student's parent, Mr. Wang, said that too much betel nut will become addictive and cause cancer. The development of minors is not fully mature, and selling betel nuts around the school is very unreasonable. He hoped that relevant departments can regulate the sales of betel nuts. Ms. Wei, a sixth grade boy in her family, told the reporter that her son had seen other students eating betel nuts and wanted to buy them, but she flatly refused. "At that time, I didn't know much about betel nuts, but now I know they are so harmful. Can you let the merchants not sell them?" Ms. Wei said. Ms. Wu, a parent of a junior high school student in Sanming, was also deeply worried. She said that minors tend to be curious about new things. The harm of betelnut is more clear than cigarettes. The government should ban the sale of betelnut, whether around schools or communities. |
