Taiwan told to follow Korea’s anti-tobacco footsteps

An-anti-tobacco organization has called on Taiwan’s government to increase cigarette tax by NT$20 a pack, increase the size of health warnings to cover 80 percent of pack surfaces, ban smoking in indoor public places, including places of work, and bring electronic cigarettes under the Tobacco Hazards Act.

According to a story in the Taipei Times, the John Tung Foundation on Monday urged the government to follow in South Korea’s footsteps in bolstering anti-smoking measures.

From tomorrow, South Korea is to prohibit smoking in all bars, restaurants and cafés, and impose a tax-induced increase of 80 percent on cigarette prices.

The foundation’s chief executive officer Yao Shi-yuan was quoted as saying that, since Taiwan implemented a regulation requiring warning labels covering 35 percent of cigarette pack surfaces in 2009, the number of countries that had adopted similar policies had increased from about 30 to 77.

“Nevertheless, as a nation that prides itself on its tobacco prevention achievements, it ranks fourth from the bottom on the size of cigarette warning labels worldwide,” Yao said.

“In addition, people are still allowed to smoke at bars and semi-open spaces, and the country has not increased the cigarette tax in 28 years.”