Tag: Taiwan

Taiwan Lawmakers Approve Vape Ban

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Lawmakers in Taiwan approved amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act that would ban e-cigarettes, raise the legal buying age for combustibles and require heated-tobacco products to comply with strict regulations, reports Taiwan News.
People caught using unauthorized vapor products or tobacco-heating devices risk fines of between TWD2,000 ($66) and TWD10,000.
Manufacturers and sellers of such products would be required to submit health risk assessment reports backed by product samples. Unauthorized tobacco manufacturers, importers and advertisers are subject to fines ranging from TWD10 million to TWD50 million, according to the amendments.
Other changes involve raising the legal smoking age from 18 to 20, increasing the proportion of tobacco package warning messages from 35 percent to 50 percent and designating childcare centers and schools as no-smoking areas.
The amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act were proposed in part due to concern about the growing popularity of vaping among youth.
The share of e-cigarette users in junior high schools grew from 1.9 percent in 2018 to 3.9 percent in 2021, according to a survey by the Health Promotion Administration, while the share in senior high and vocational schools rose from 3.4 percent to 8.8 percent during the same period. Some critics blame flavors for the increase.
The clauses on e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products are to take effect one month after the amendments’ contents are announced to the public. The clauses on vapes with additional flavors as well as regulations on packaging are to take effect one year after the amendments are announced.
The last time the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act was amended was in 2009.
January 13, 2023
Taipei: Rally Against Proposed Vaping Ban

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Smoker rights groups on April 21 protested outside the legislature in Taipei against a proposal to ban e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs), reports The Taipei Times.
The government must respect the rights of smokers, they said, adding that it should offer people choices, instead of instituting a ban.
The protest was in response to the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee considering changes to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act that would ban e-cigarettes and limit HTPs. Amendments to the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act to restrict e-cigarettes are also be considered by the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee.
One protester said that vaping devices, HTPs and flavored cigarettes should be regulated like regular cigarettes, with taxes and age restrictions for purchase.
“HTPs and e-cigarettes should be classified as tobacco products, just like the cigarettes sold at convenience stores,” the protester was quoted as saying by The Taipei Times. “We agree that the government should impose restrictions and rules, not permit sale to minors, no advertising, no online purchase and have health warnings.”
April 22, 2022
Taiwan: Stakeholders Debate Policy Proposals

Photo: Andrii Yalanskyi | Adobe Stock
A demonstrative policy debate event on whether e-cigarettes should be regulated was held on March 8, 2022, in Taipei, showing how different public policy viewpoints can be rationally discussed, according to The Taipei Times. The debate was held by the Chinese Debate Promotion Association (CDPA) at the Taipei NGO House.
CDPA Chairman and Founder Chia Pei-te said that the Executive Yuan in January approved a draft amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act proposed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare for legislative review. The proposed regulations on emerging tobacco products have sparked discussions, he said.
The amendment would classify emerging tobacco products as “tobacco-like products” and “designated tobacco products.” E-cigarettes would be classified as “tobacco-like products” and be fully banned while heated-tobacco products would be classified as “designated tobacco products” and be subject to regulation.
The reasoning behind banning e-cigarettes includes keeping curious teenagers away from the products, preventing consumers from adding nicotine to e-cigarette e-liquids and lowering the risk of teenage users turning to smoking.
The debate participants went back and forth discussing the pros and cons of regulating e-cigarettes versus banning them, bringing up subjects such as public health, tax revenue options and teenage use.
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) College of Pharmaceutical Sciences Dean Kang Jaw-jou said that he was moved by opinions for and against e-cigarettes. He said the affirmative side proposed to directly manage e-cigarette use through regulations and an approval system while the opposing side stressed their attitude to life—banning a substance if the public consensus deems it harmful to society.
Many aspects of the topic can be argued, but e-cigarettes can cause negative health effects, and supporters and opponents must clearly present this fact to the public in further discussions, stated Wang Hsiang-tsui, NYCU Faculty of Pharmacy associate professor.
March 11, 2022
Taiwan: Bill Approved to Raise Smoking Age

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The Taiwan Cabinet approved a draft amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, which would raise the legal smoking age to 20 from 18 as well as impose a ban on electronic cigarettes and flavored tobacco products, according to Focus Taiwan.
The draft amendment will now go to the legislature for deliberation.
If signed into law, those found in violation of the new age restrictions would face a fine ranging from TWD2,000 ($72) to TWD10,000.
Those found violating the ban on manufacture, import, sale, supply, display, advertising and use of all tobacco-like products, including e-cigarettes, could face a fine ranging from TWD10 million to TWD50 million.
The proposed bill would provide a legal basis for regulation of new tobacco products, such as heated-tobacco products, stating that suppliers of new tobacco products with unknown health risks should file an application for assessment of said products within a specific time period before suppliers are allowed to manufacture or import the products. Those caught violating this regulation could face a fine up to TWD50 million.
The bill goes further, expanding the smoking ban to colleges and universities, kindergartens, baby care centers and in-home childcare locations. Smoking in bars and nightclubs would only be allowed in designated areas. Graphic warnings and text would also be increased to 85 percent from 35 percent of the total package surface.
January 13, 2022
Taipei Moves Closer to Banning E-Cigarettes

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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.
November 5, 2021
Taiwan: E-cigarette Use Tripled in Few Years

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E-cigarette use in Taiwan has tripled since 2018, reports The Taipei Times, citing a study by the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA).
In 2018, e-cigarette use was at 0.6 percent; in 2020, that rate grew to 1.7 percent, according to the study, which looked at responses from 25,000 people 18 years and older.
The highest e-cigarette use rates were found in men ages 26 to 30, at 6.3 percent, and women ages 21 to 25, at 4.6 percent.
“To put this growth into perspective, use of traditional cigarettes grew only marginally over this period, from 13 percent in 2018 to 13.1 percent in 2020,” said Lu Meng-ying, HPA Tobacco Control Division official. “The situation needs urgent attention, especially as new e-cigarette users are almost all young people.”
Most respondents said they use e-cigarettes out of curiosity while 17.3 percent use them to quit smoking combustible cigarettes and 9.7 percent use them because friends use them.
Use of flavored tobacco products is increasing as well, from 8.2 percent in 2018 to 15.6 percent in 2020. Majority of the increase was seen in women.
“There are more than 1,200 additives used in flavored tobacco products, and the vast majority of them are chemically derived,” Lu said. “The goal of manufacturers is to prevent new smokers, especially young women, from being turned off by foul smells.” He added that the effects of long-term use of flavored products are not well understood.
July 8, 2021
KT&G Opens Office in Taiwan

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KT&G opened an office in Taiwan as part of the company’s ambition to become the fourth-largest tobacco manufacturer by 2025, reports The Korea Times.
Taiwan has been one of KT&G’s key markets since 2002 when the company began exporting to the island and upgraded products sold there with premium quality brands.
In 2020, KT&G sold more than 771 million cigarettes in Taiwan, up more than 2,200 percent from 2002.
“We will set up a team to bolster marketing and sales activities while working on new brands that fulfill consumers’ needs,” said Kim Na-mi, KT&G Taiwan Corporation head.
According to Kim, the market in Taiwan offers great potential. She noted that the country’s consumer spending is quickly recovering due to a highly effective Covid-19 response and that the country’s GDP growth will be higher than previously forecast.
March 30, 2021
Taiwan Mulls Ban on Novel Tobacco Products

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Taiwan’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA) wants to ban the sale of novel tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products reports The Taipei Times.
On May 29, the agency announced draft amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (THPA) to cover products currently not covered by the act.
One amendment would raise the legal age for smoking and the minimum age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 20.
A recent survey found that smoking and vaping rates among young Taiwanese increased last year.
The smoking of cigarettes and e-cigarettes by junior high and high school students last year increased for the first time since the THPA took effect in 2009, HPA Tobacco Control Division Director Chen Miao-hsin said.
Physician Chen Mu-jung said that teenagers are less cautious when it comes to addictive substances and that flavors added to cigarettes could overpower the pungent taste of tobacco, making teenagers more curious and even leading some to believe that flavored cigarettes are somehow healthier.

June 1, 2020
E-Cigarettes Gain Popularity in Taiwan

Youth smoking is up for the first time in a decade, according to government figures. Photo: Taco Tuinstra
The number of young Taiwanese people smoking rose for the first time in a decade in 2019, reports Taiwan News, citing a report by the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration.
Remarkably, considering that e-cigarettes are illegal in Taiwan, the popularity of vaping rose by half.
An estimated 81,000 young Taiwanese smoked combustible cigarettes last year, while 57,000 youths vaped, Central News Agency (CAN) reported.
The survey found that the proportion of junior high school students with a smoking habit rose from 2.8 percent in 2018 to 3 percent in 2019, and the proportion of senior high school students from 8 percent to 8.4 percent.
Four out of every 10 young smokers smoke flavored cigarettes, which are more popular with women, the study discovered. The most popular motivator to start smoking cited was curiosity, followed by “seeing other people smoke,” parents smoking and the desire to relieve pressure.
The popularity of vaping among young people surged from 2.7 percent in 2018 to 4.2 percent last year, with male senior high school students the most likely category to use e-cigarettes.
May 29, 2020
Age-old problem
A Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker in Taiwan said on Sunday that the government should reduce the tax on tobacco because the public was deeply dissatisfied with the current rate, according to a story by Matt Yu, Wang Cheng-chung, Ku Chuan and William Yen for the Focus Taiwan News Channel.
Hsu Chih-chieh said he had spoken to Premier Su Tseng-chang about this issue because of the public backlash that had erupted after the tax on cigarettes was raised in June 2017 by NT$20 (US$0.65) per pack following the Legislature’s passage of an amendment to the Tobacco and Alcohol Tax Act.
According to Ministry of Finance data, the amendment allowed the tobacco tax to be raised from NT$590 per 1,000 cigarettes to NT$1,590, which added an extra NT$20 to the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes.
Hsu said that while he did not encourage smoking, he recognized that it was one of life’s pleasures for some people.
The tobacco tax went toward the nation’s long-term care of senior citizens, but smokers should not be the ones to fund that, he said.
In response, the Cabinet said it would seek the opinions of various sectors of the society on the issue.
The Cabinet spokesperson Kolas Yotaka said Premier Su has received thoughts from DPP lawmakers on the tobacco tax issue but had not yet responded.
Also commenting on the issue, Kuomintang lawmaker Hsu Chih-jung said the tobacco tax was increased as a deterrent to smoking, and that cutting it now would be counterproductive.
March 4, 2019