Health ministry previews tighter betel nut regulations

Taipei, Dec. 22 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) recently previewed a proposal to tighten regulations on the sale and use of betel nut in a way similar to the country's tobacco control laws.

The draft proposal, titled the Betel Nut Hazard Prevention Act, was made public by the ministry on Dec. 18, opening a 60-day period for soliciting public opinion.

At the end of the 60-day period, the proposal will need to be finalized and approved by the Cabinet before being sent to the Legislature for review.

In its current form, the draft bill would prohibit the use of betel nut by pregnant women and people under the age of 18, and impose fines of up to NT$250,000 (US$7,659) for those who provide it to them.

According to the ministry, mothers who chew betel nut during pregnancy are 2-3 times more likely to suffer a miscarriage or give birth prematurely than those who do not.

An exemption, however, could potentially be made for members of Indigenous groups using betel nut for traditional or ceremonial purposes, Chang Yung-min (張雍敏), head of the ministry's Department of Oral Health, told CNA on Sunday.

Like the Tobacco Hazard Prevention Act, the proposal would ban the use of betel nut in a range of public and private venues, including schools, medical institutions, libraries, public transport, taxis, train or bus stations, preschools and long-term care facilities.

People who chewed betel nut in prohibited areas would face a maximum NT$10,000 fine and would also have to attend betel nut education courses or face an additional fine of up to NT$50,000, according to the proposal.

Meanwhile, venues where betel nut is prohibited would be required to post signs at the entrance, or else face fines of up to NT$50,000, the ministry said.

As with tobacco laws, the proposal would discourage images of betel nut use in films, television programs and other performances.

In instances where its depiction was necessary, other self-regulatory measures would apply, such as restricting the times a performance could be broadcast, or showing warnings about the health risks of betel nut at the beginning or end of the performance, the ministry said.

In terms of betel nut sales, the proposal would require vendors to register with local governments and print health warnings on betel nut packaging.

Sales of betel nut online, in vending machines, through the mail, or by other means where it is impossible to confirm a buyer's age, would also be prohibited, the ministry said.

Reaction

While support for the proposal in Taiwanese society is still unclear, reactions from those within the country's NT$13.6 billion (US$416.7 million) industry were largely negative.

A betel nut farmer in Pingtung County, surnamed Sung (宋), told CNA that harvests of the crop from his three hectares of land provide his family with money to live on for the entire year.

Song said he worried the "many restrictions" in the bill, combined with the lack of subsidies or other government support would make it impossible for many producers to make a living.

Chuang Hsin-tsung (莊信宗), a long-time betel nut distributor in Chiayi County, said betel nut use is already in decline in Taiwan, as young people by and large spurn the habit as unattractive.

While the government has "good intentions" in proposing the legislation, it would be preferable to just "let things take their course" and have betel nut gradually disappear on its own, he said.