The pro-democracy group accused the government of ignoring betel nut sinking, the first oral cancer in the world, and the harm of pesticide additives, and asked the government to take responsibility for the management.

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Last month, Upstream and Downstream published a report entitled "Uncovering Taiwan's Largest Pesticide Loophole-30 Years of Areca Industry", pointing out that there are obvious loopholes in the management of areca. Although the Council of Agriculture considers areca as a "fruit", it has long ignored the demand for areca and ignored illegal drug use in areca plantations; the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare does not recognize areca as a "food", let alone sampling and management practices. The conflicts and finger-kicking between government units have allowed consumers to continue chewing betel nut with excessive pesticides and unknown additives, creating a great burden on the ecological environment.

After the news was published, on July 8, the Council of Agriculture invited an inter-ministerial meeting of the Food and Drug Administration and the Food and Drug Administration to study and formulate relevant control measures for betel nut, but a month has passed and no concrete measures have been proposed. The Taiwan Alliance for Betel nut Prevention and Oral Cancer Prevention (TABCA), in conjunction with the Taiwan Youth Rights and Welfare Promotion Alliance and dozens of victims of betel nut cancer, held a press conference today (5) to accuse the government of its long-standing reluctance to face up to the long-standing abuses of the betel nut industry and disregard for consumer health.

Taiwan Penang Cancer Prevention Alliance bluntly said that the government has always been passive in the face of "the world's first source of oral cancer". After decades of shouting for prevention and control, it still cannot come up with effective prescriptions. The annual medical and health care expenditure and social cost are difficult to estimate. It calls on the government to take care of betel nut as soon as possible."If you don't take care of it now, the hole will never be filled!"

In response, Chen Jizhong, chairman of the Council of Agriculture, said that in the future, it may refer to the "Tobacco Control Law" and formulate "Regulations on the Control of Betel nuts." He also stressed that the Bureau of Prevention and Inspection will at the latest before the end of the year to set a license for areca drugs, and before the announcement, all areca fields using pesticides are illegal, agricultural administration units will visit pesticide inspection, appeal to the industry not to sell areca pesticides,"violation will be punished!"

Volunteer of Sunshine Foundation, Friend Cui Wenbin (Photo/Lin Peijun)

Food and Drug Administration: If there is a "betel nut control regulation", it can formulate a management mechanism

In response, Cai Shuzhen, head of the Food and Drug Administration's Food Group, said,"Betel nut itself is a carcinogen, and its essence and related additives do not meet the standards of nutritious foods for the body." "It must be considered food because it is nutritious and healthy to eat. The purpose of food is different from these hobby items." She stressed that additives such as betel nut, betel leaf, red ash and white ash are still difficult to identify on the "food list."

However, she also pointed out that in terms of management logic, even if "it is not a food, it can still be viewed from another angle." For example, in the previous inter-ministerial meeting discussion, the Council of Agriculture proposed that it can be managed according to the concept of smoke control."Smoke itself, everyone knows that smoking has carcinogenic concerns, but some specific groups still have demand for use. Therefore, if betel nut can reach the concept of betel nut control, then the inter-ministerial meeting can discuss it well, from the front end of field management, Plant drug management, to terminal cancer prevention."

Chen Chi-chung, chairman of the Council of Agriculture, pointed out that in the future, it is possible to draw up "regulations for the control of betel nuts" according to the "Tobacco Control Law." At the same time, in the areca import control, after also should compare with the domestic areca drug specifications,"otherwise only limit the domestic health, but not control the import, this will also have an impact on consumer health and safety."

How to manage betel nut medication? Field management will be formulated before the end of the year. Selling pesticides to betel nut farmers is illegal at this stage.

The Council of Agriculture recognized areca nut as a fruit, but did not open areca nut plantations to pesticide use. This has led to pesticide abuse by farmers over a long period of time. Not only has users been exposed to the risk of pesticide exposure, but it has also caused a large-scale sudden death of bees in the mountains of Nantou last year.

Feng Haidong, director of the Department of Prevention and Inspection of the Council of Agriculture, said that he had contacted the local improvement farms (Taiwan Central Field, Kaohsiung Field) in the areca producing areas and would collect information on the related technologies of areca planting management and possible pest control needs in the near future."We should first understand the pest demand of areca and know what problems we should mainly deal with before we can further discuss the recommended drugs. It is not that we can open them if we want to." He admitted that the announcement schedule "is not that fast."

However, August will be the beginning of the central areca drug season. At present, there is an urgent need for areca drugs in central China. How should the Council of Agriculture manage it? Chen Chi-chung, chairman of the Council of Agriculture, said in an earlier interview that Taiwan planted large areas of betel nut plantations, the betel nut industry maintained the livelihood of many farmers, attracted a large number of betel nut chewing population, and planted leaves for many years."Therefore, the government should not ignore the existence of facts by adopting the three no policies of no encouragement, no guidance and no prohibition." He promised that the "safety management of betel nut field production" would be formulated by the end of this year. After the formulation, the Council of Agriculture would be responsible for sampling tests at the production end.

Today he also responded again,"Of course, the faster the progress of recommended drugs, the better. Everyone is very concerned about the fate of bees this year." Before the Council of Agriculture announced the relevant permission for drugs, all pesticides used in betel nut fields were illegal. The agricultural administration unit would visit the pesticide industry to inspect and appeal to the industry not to sell pesticides to betel nut farmers."Violation will be punished!"

[Exclusive Investigation] Uncovering Taiwan's Largest Pesticide Loophole: 30 Years of Betel nut Industry