NCD Regional candidate, Jamie Maxtone-Graham, says he will allow the sale of betelnut and reintroduce the spot fine system.
Maxtone said the buai ban had affected many city residents who rely on the nut as a source of income.
He noted the rubbish caused by the nut and said he will reintroduce the city ranger concept to deal with spitters.
“There will be no buai ban, but we will clean up the city, provide proper facilities where they can chew buai, spit it in plastic bags and we will institute heavy fines for people who spit and throw rubbish,” he said.
The policy is somewhat contradictory to Maxtone-Graham’s policy on promoting a healthy lifestyle, which forms a major foundation of his 31 policy campaign.
However, he says based on years of research he has done himself, lifestyle diseases such as mouth cancer are not caused by betelnut chewing but by sugary drinks and foods, as well as processed meals and junk food.
“Lifestyle disease is one family. The underlying cause is sugar,” he said.
“Mouth cancer, the underlying cause is really sugar.”
One of Maxtone-Graham’s major policies is the introduction of tax on sodas as junk food and subsidising healthy fresh food.