Kodgi further pointed out discrepancies in sample sizes:“In the original table by Gupta et al. (1998), the sample size for arecanut use was 1,786, and the total sample size was 5,018. However, in the monographs, these figures were inflated to 11,786 and 15,018, respectively. Additionally, the original paper grouped mawa, tobacco, and smoking habits under arecanut use. It is important to note that mawa is a mixture of arecanut, tobacco, and slaked lime. Why were mawa, tobacco, and smoking habits included under arecanut use, and how did WHO/IARC overlook such glaring errors? These discrepancies raise serious doubts about the authenticity of the report, causing significant distress among the farming community and leading to erroneous conclusions about arecanut’s safety.”The CAMPCO president alleged a deliberate attempt to discredit arecanut through manipulated research data.“Arecanut is the lifeline for lakhs of farmers in arecanut-growing regions of the country. Such ‘manipulated data’ create unwarranted apprehension about the crop, adversely impacting their livelihood. Many people, unaware of such manipulations, tend to believe the data presented by WHO/IARC as factual. We earnestly request your intervention to protect arecanut farmers from such misleading propaganda by international bodies,” the letter concluded.
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