Sugar-coated, flavored betel nuts prompt calls for regulation

Taipei, March 20 (CNA) Sugar-coated and flavored betel nuts have been sold in Taiwan since last year, the Taiwan Betel Nut and Oral Cancer Prevention Association said Friday, calling for the early passage of a bill to regulate the sale of betel nuts.

In a press release marking the March 20 World Oral Health Day, the association said betel nuts, classified as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, are being sold in new forms in Taiwan.

In major night markets in Taoyuan, Taichung, Chiayi and Tainan, betel nuts have been sugar-coated and sold as a new flavor of traditional candied haws since February last year, the association said.

Meanwhile, online marketplaces sell "flavored betel nuts," offering a range of flavors that include goji, coffee, curry and preserved fruit, the association added.

The group warned that new forms of betel nuts could reduce public awareness of the risks and even attract minors.

Whether betel nuts are consumed with lime or not, they still have a high risk of causing cancer, according to the association.

Although there is a draft bill to prevent health hazards from betel quid chewing, its 60-day preview period ended over a year ago, and the legislation remains on hold, the association said.

Under current circumstances, no law governs these new types of betel nut products, the group added.

The association urged the Cabinet to complete cross-departmental coordination soon so the bill can protect minors and pregnant women, while providing stable funding for oral cancer screening and betel nut rehabilitation programs.

Chang Yung-ming (張雍敏), head of the Department of Oral Health under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said that the bill is still under discussion.

Regarding flavored betel nuts, the department is consulting legal experts on how to define "flavor" in legal terms for inclusion in the bill, Chang said.

For now, the department has made the issue a focus of this year's public awareness efforts and Chang said she would review reports on sugar-coated betel nut sticks and instruct local health departments to intervene.