Department of Health, Taipei City Government

The Executive Yuan approved by correspondence on March 2, 2022 the Taipei Municipal Novel and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products Self-Government Ordinance established by the Taipei City Government. Taipei City Government schedules to promulgate and implement the Ordinance in late March 2022 in accordance with Article 32 of the Local Government Act and Article 13 of the Central Regulation Standard Act.
 
Regulate EC and HTPs to maintain the health rights and interests of citizens
 
According to Dr. Shier-Chieg Huang, commissioner of  the Department of Health, the Taipei City Government has established the Ordinance with 14 articles to maintain the health rights and interests of citizens by regulating electronic cigarettes (EC) and heated tobacco products (HTPs). The foci of the Ordinance are as follows:
 
1. Novel and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products (NENTPs) means heated tobacco products (HTPs) and quasi-tobacco products (e.g. electronic cigarettes).
 
2. Those under the statutory age for smoking (currently 18 years of age) under the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act shall not use NENTPs. Offenders shall receive education related to NENTP cessation by the time limit. The parents or guardian of those failing to receive NENTP cessation education as notified shall be sanctioned by an administrative fine between NT$2,000 and NT$10,000.
 
3. No one shall sell or supply NENTPs or their combinations to those under the statutory age for smoking (currently 18 years of age) under the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. Offenders shall be sanctioned by an administrative fine between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000.
 
4. NENTPs shall also be banned in non-smoking venues as stated in Articles 15 and 16 of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. Offenders shall be sanctioned by an administrative fine between NT$2,000 and NT$10,000.
 
5. No one shall manufacture, import, sell, supply, display, or advertise NENTPs or their combinations. Offenders shall be sanctioned by an administrative fine between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000 and requested to make corrections by the time limit. Sanctions shall repeat for failure to make corrections by the time limit.
 
Taipei City Government urges NENTPs are ineffective for smoking cessation and only specialists can help
 
According to Commissioner Dr. Shier-Chieg Huang, the World Health Organization (WHO) already stated that tobacco products of any form, including such NENTPs as EC and HTPs, are hazardous to human health. EC contains many hazardous substances that easily cause lung inflammation and allergy and provoke the risk of asthma and myocardial infarction. Currently, there are over 15,000 known additives used for formulating tobacco tar, and many cases of NENTP-associated acute lung injury and even death have been reported overseas. HTPs are made with tobacco, the same way as traditional cigarettes. In addition to nicotine that can cause addition, there are also toxic substances such as tobacco tar, and carcinogens such as formaldehyde.
 
In recent years, marketers have misled the public with disinformation such as “hazard reduction” and “nicotine replacement therapy.” They even attract consumers with cute packages and tobacco tar or pods of special or fruit flavors. The WHO warns: WHO has no scientific evidence to confirm electronic cigarettes are a safe and effective smoking cessation aid. NENTPs contains nicotine and carcinogens that are as hazardous as traditional cigarettes.

The Department of Health, Taipei City Government urges: No one shall manufacture, import, sell, supply, display, or advertise NENTPs or their combinations. The Department of Health also urges: Habitual smokers shall not use NENTPs in non-smoking venues to not break the Taipei Municipal Novel and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products Self-Government Ordinance.