"It's just like an early morning coffee. People wake up, take a shower, they brush their teeth, they're go and grab betelnut." Betel nut – or buai – is everywhere in Papua New Guinea. Buai is the seed of the Areca nut, wrapped in betel leaf… and chewed until you feel a surge of energy. It has plenty of ceremonial uses, but for everyday chewers this is a recreational activity. However, it's addictive — even deadly. So deadly the government has tried to ban it. That's not such a simple task given the informal economy flourishing around betel nut has given many families financial stability — especially in rural areas. So, how did this nut turn from a cultural keystone into an addictive pastime? You'll hear from Belinda Kora, a journalist living in Port Moresby who has seen the pros and cons of the buai boom and Sprigga Mek, a rapper from Papua New Guinea whose latest song discusses his family's connection to the buai trade. Culture Compass was produced by Deadset Studios for ABC Radio Australia.