Taipei Moves Closer to Banning E-Cigarettes

The Taipei city government has passed a ban on vapor products, reports The Taipei Times. If the Executive ratifies the measure, the city will impose a broad-ranging prohibition on the sale, advertisement, display and commercial transportation of novel tobacco products, including vaping devices and heated tobacco units.

Additionally, vaping and using heated tobacco products is to be banned in a 50-meter zone around schools.

Violators risk fines of between TWD2,000 ($71.76) and TWD10,000.

The city ordinance, which initially targeted only e-cigarettes, was expanded to include heated tobacco products at the suggestion of Taipei City Councilor Wang Hong-wei of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

Lauding the council’s decision, Health Promotion Division Director Lin Meng-hui dismissed as false tobacco industry claims promoting novel tobacco products as harm-reduction tools and smoking-cessation aids.

Lin said government testing showed that more than 80 percent of e-cigarettes contain nicotine, and that the devices create dependence on the substance.

 The city has not drafted a timetable for implementing the ban.