Chewing betel nut, which acts as a mild stimulant, is a common and increasingly popular cultural activity across Papua New Guinea.
It serves as the country’s leading domestic cash crop, backed by a substantial and often profitable trade, which is now the most visible aspect of this practice.
The act of consuming betel nut generates large quantities of red saliva that can be found splattered on roads, walls, posts, bins, offices, and buses throughout the country, and its health impacts resemble those associated with tobacco use.
Despite its prevalence, selling betel nut is frequently regarded as an illegitimate way to earn a living.
Betel nut bans are not a recent phenomenon; local authorities in Port Moresby and other cities have intermittently introduced and enforced various restrictions since at least the 1970s.
The law currently prohibits the sale, consumption, and spitting of betel nut in public areas within the National Capital District (NCD), which includes villages and settlements, but does not address sales in private homes.
Sales are limited to specific locations, meaning that betel nut markets must be situated outside the city, and within the city limits, sales are confined to designated markets.
While there are clear public health and aesthetic advantages to regulation, the fear and aversion that have led to the ban have resulted in its implementation without fully considering the broader consequences, particularly regarding people's livelihoods.
For many urban and rural residents of Papua New Guinea, income from betel nut often rivals or surpasses that from formal jobs and cash crops for export.
The National Capital District Commission's strong efforts to tidy up the city have overlooked the value of this grassroots "green gold."