The red-stained streets of Yangon

Before coming to Yangon, I was admonished by a friend who had visited Myanmar’s economic capital that I should be aware of a lot of people chewing betel nuts. I did not find anything strange about people chewing betel nuts until my first day in the city a month ago.

People of all ages – men, women, teenagers, old men, old women – were chewing betel quid, which was a rarity in my country, Cambodia. What I found a bit discomforting were the red stains all over the streets and some sidewalks as people spit the betel quid after chewing it for a time.

Betel chewers spit betel saliva anywhere on roads, pavements, overpasses and other places. Whenever I walked, I had to watch my steps most of the time to ensure I did not step on this slimy litter. On rainy days when the ground was all wet, it was very important to walk gently to ensure those red distinctive marks were not splashed on my feet.
Sometimes, I saw some of the passengers spit their saliva out through the car window. I felt lucky that I was on the public bus. Also, I came across with some taxi drivers spitting the betel quid on the street while waiting for their vehicles to move during traffic jams.

Walking across the city, the betel stalls found in any streets in, the sellers skillfully prepared the betel quid with betel leaf, betel nut, tobacco, lime or mint paste, and other spices. Some customers were standing and waiting while their betel quid was being prepared, while others spit out their betel saliva after chewing it for a few minutes. Some even suddenly spit out right next to me.
I thought Yangon will be a very beautiful and clean city to live without these red strains everywhere. Spitting could be seen a lot in cities throughout the region, yet not as noticeable as the red stains in Yangon streets.
According to a study from the World Health Organization, more than half of Myanmar’s men used this smokeless tobacco, in addition to 16 percent of its women.

Chewing betel has become a part of cultural and traditional practice in the country for centuries. Even in a royal court, there were clerics who openly enjoyed the betel nuts, chopped up and wrapped up in betel leaves.  In the past, some in the villages used to chew it as a digestive treatment. The reasons that people chewed the betel varied – some did it out of habit, others took to the habit as they enjoyed the taste, still others found chewing betel quid refreshing and keep themselves alert.
There is a municipal law enacted in 2013 stating that “dumping rubbish, spitting betel saliva, general spitting and depositing chewing gum in public areas carry penalties of one year in prison or fines ranging from K10,000 to K500,000”.
However, the law can only be enforced effectively if people willingly cooperate. Each individual’s participation played huge part in ridding Yangon city streets of the unsightly red stains. They should carry a few plastic bags with them, which would help them avoid spitting carelessly in public areas. Noticeably, I also found a few good examples from some public bus drivers. Instead of spitting through the bus window, they spit betel saliva in their own cups or bags.