Taiwan Set to Ban Nicotine Vapes

Taiwan is set to become the next Asian country to ban nicotine vaping products, reports Filter.

The Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act cleared the legislative floor earlier this month and now awaits presidential approval, which is expected because President Tsai Ing-wen is a member of the party that proposed the act.

Taiwan seems to be following behind Japan, which banned nicotine vapes but allows heated-tobacco products. India and Thailand have also banned vapes.

Taiwan’s ban will include use of e-cigarettes, and violators will face penalties of up to $330.

“The issue did not have enough public discussion, and the approach to harm reduction should be more thoroughly debated,” said Simon Lee, the Taiwan policy fellow at the Consumer Choice Center, a global consumer advocacy group in Washington. “For instance, we have seen misinformation, especially with regard to nicotine, circulating among anti-tobacco activists. It is beyond reasonable doubt that Taiwan’s consumers deserve a much better outcome.”