Oral cancer awareness among immigrant Indo-Canadian community of Vancouver, BC.

It is routine and normal practice in Indian culture and tradition to chew betel quid (containing various amounts of betel leaf, lime, areca nut, and tobacco) after meals. The socially acceptable habit of betel-quid chewing is believed to aid digestion after food. Betel quid is also a taste enhancer and breath freshener, and is also used as traditional medicine for a variety of ailments 1,2 . The Indo-Canadian participants at the health fair informed us that they had never been told about the potential health threats, including the risk of developing oral cancer, associated with chewing betel quid. We were informed that many South Asian immigrant workers and farmers in and around Vancouver use betel quid, and that these betel-quid products for chewing are readily available in local Indian restaurants and shops.