At a conference on agricultural production last year, Chunghsing University professor Li Ch'ing-yu said growing betel nut trees for profit was the equivalent of growing opium, for both were equally harmful to society. On the other hand Huang Chen-lung, head of Pingtung County's Bureau of Agriculture, argued that chewing betel nut contributed to lowering road accident rates because it enhanced drivers 'mental faculties.
在去年一項農漁牧產銷會議上，中興大學李慶餘教授曾說，若以賺錢為由鼓勵種檳榔，不如推廣種鴉片，反正二者同樣危害社會；屏東縣政府農業局長黃振龍則認為，在客貨運輸頻繁的今天，交通事故反而降低，檳榔提神的功勞不小。