Researchers report evidence of very early, likely habitual drug use in prehistoric human teeth from Indonesia. The findings trace back about 25,000 years, when hunter-gatherers may have regularly sucked betel nuts, a plant product containing psychoactive and pain-relieving compounds.
The study identifies distinctive, rounded grooves on tooth surfaces, interpreted as wear patterns consistent with repeatedly placing and sucking whole betel nuts. This suggests the behavior was not occasional, but regular enough to leave long-term marks. Outlets describe the case as the oldest known evidence of probable substance use or addiction, based on the physical trace in dental remains.
While the sources differ slightly in wording—ranging from “habitual drug use” to “probable substance addiction”—they align on the core interpretation: tooth wear from betel nut chewing/sucking is used as the main indicator. The reporting also emphasizes that the evidence comes from dental morphology rather than direct written or observational records, and it focuses on the psychoactive and analgesic effects attributed to betel.
