Taiwan recently enacted a new legislation called the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. This law results from a study conducted by Taiwan’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA), which found an upswing in the use of electronic cigarettes among the nation’s young. The law prohibits the production, sale, and distribution of electronic cigarettes.
The study revealed that the use of e-cigarettes within junior high schools (children between the ages of 12-14) rose by 1.9 percent in 2018 and grew to 3.9 percent by 2021. Students in senior high school (ages 15-17) and vocational schools increased from 3.4 percent to 8.8 percent in the same time frame. The HPA believes that the flavor combinations used in electronic cigarettes and the novelty of these devices have led to the rise of youth smoking cigarettes.
The Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act introduces various tobacco-related restrictions in general and not only for electronic cigarettes and e-liquids.
The legal smoking age for all tobacco products has been increased between 18 and 20. The warnings for tobacco products must be half the packaging area instead of the prior 35 percent. Children’s care centers and schools of all sizes are designated as smoking-free zones.
The production, sale, and supply of e-cigarettes are banned.
Manufacturers of products made from heated tobacco must provide risks before they are permitted to market their goods. Marketing of products made from wild tobacco is prohibited.
If a person is caught using vaping that is not legal or heating devices for tobacco, the penalties range from TWD2,000 ($66) to TWD10,000 ($330).