Exhibition of carcinogen betel nut canceled after public outcry

Central News Agency, Taipei, May 28. The 'Guangdong Betel Nut Millennium Culture Exhibition,' scheduled to be held in Liwan District, Guangzhou, China, was urgently canceled by local authorities. The exhibition, organized by Hainan Hecheng Tianxia Technology Development Co., Ltd., aimed to promote the medicinal value and history of betel nut. However, betel nut was classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2003. Following the announcement, netizens questioned why a carcinogenic product was being promoted through exhibitions. The Liwan District Market Supervision Administration stated that the event had not been properly reported and ordered its cancellation. Authorities added that they would strengthen supervision and regulation of similar activities in the future. Similar exhibitions had previously been held in other shopping malls in Guangzhou, but public health concerns have led to stricter scrutiny.