INTRODUCTION
According to data in a 2002 survey, there are currently 4.9 million smokers in
Taiwan. Research also shows that more than 18,800 people die from smoking
related diseases every year. And the payout from National Health Insurance (NHI)
for smoking related diseases reaches an estimate of 20 billion NT dollars,
costing a social and economic loss as high as 50 billion NT dollars. Therefore,
tobacco hazards not only put our peoples health in risk, their causing an
economic downfall also severely impact Taiwans competitiveness.
Before 1980, polite smoking was a social etiquette in the Taiwan society, and
people had no idea about the hazards of smoking. Starting from 1984, the
government and private associations began to advocate anti-smoking, hoping to
implant in peoples mind the concepts of smoking is harmful to health and
refusing second hand smoke. In 1997, legislation of the Tobacco Hazards
Prevention Act was passed to form the legal basis for promoting tobacco
prevention and control. In 2002, Welfare donation of tobacco products for health
efforts were open to the public to enable works on tobacco control to continue
with ample funding.
Promoting tobacco control is an arduous task, regardless whether it is opposing
the intense marketing of the global tobacco industry, persuading and assisting
the people to quit, or even changing the deeply-rooted culture of smoking.
However, after the World Health Organization (WHO) passed the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2003, tobacco prevention and control has
become a global issue. Therefore, creating a quality and vibrant living
environment, and maintaining our peoples health are tasks that demand the
governments immediate attention. They are also in line with the global concepts
of public hygiene and human rights to health care.
At present, the government, academics and private associations are in
cooperation to promote various major undertakings step by step. These include
communicating anti-smoking education to the people, provision of quit services,
promotion of smoke-free restaurants, homes, workplaces and campuses; and the
environment building, law enforcement and amendment, monitoring and inspection,
and basic setup for these premises. Furthermore, in order to fulfill our
responsibility as a member of the international community, we have also
proactively presented the efforts and results of tobacco control in Taiwan. For
example, approval of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was promoted
within the country, World NO Tobacco Day and Quit & Win campaigns were
conducted. There is also our participation in international academic exchange in
the field of tobacco hazards, and our assistance to Southeast Asian countries in
dealing with tobacco hazards. By offering our experience of tobacco control, we
seek to engage in substantial diplomatic relations and thus gaining
international recognition and support.
All these efforts are expended to meet the publics needs for a smoke-free
environment and offer the people protection from the hazards of second hand
smoke. In the future, the Bureau of Health Promotion (BHP) will continue to
promote works on tobacco control with the vision of Tobacco Free, Yes Taiwan.
And with joint efforts from the people, we could enable our children, families,
colleagues, and friends to study, work, play and grow in clean and healthy
environments, and make no-smoking the new living mainstream culture.
Director General
Bureau of Health Promotion
Department of Health
Hsiu-chuan Lin