DETROIT – There's a new health warning from doctors about teens searching for a new way to get high. Dr. Frank McGeorge took a look at what they're using and why police are sounding the alarm.
Police in Ohio are speaking out after finding teens using something called betel nut, which is the seed of a certain type of palm tree.
In other parts of the world, people chew it for an energy boost. It can also create feelings of euphoria.
But betel nut is also a known carcinogen linked to oral cancer, doctors said.
Betel nut has been around for centuries in South Asia, but now public health inspectors are finding it on store shelves in Central Ohio.
Police said they've caught teens chewing the substance to get high, acting dazed and disoriented. The bigger risk is long-term.
"We want to make sure we keep this out of the hands of students at the very least," said Reynoldsburg police Chief Jim O'Neill.
Experts said betel nut is not a controlled substance, but it is illegal to import it. It's readily available online for less than $10 -- a loophole law enforcement agencies want to see shut.
"We would like to see distribution and possession completely outlawed," O'Neill said.
Health inspectors in Ohio are searching markets to remove betel nut from shelves. The FDA is also investigating.
Betel nut has been linked to mouth and esophagus cancers as well as tooth decay and staining.
Doctors said the betel nut craze is a good reminder for parents to talk to their children about the hazards of unknown substances.