Since the new provisions set forth in the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act took effect in 2009, the HPA has achieved significant results in tobacco hazards prevention through the implementation of various strategies:

Achieving a 30% reduction in tobacco use in advance of the WHO’s 2025 NCD target date, Taiwan saw the smoking rate among adults above the age of 18 fall from 21.9% in 2008 to 14.0% in 2022. Thanks to gradual expansion of nonsmoking areas, the nation also posted a significant decline in the secondhand smoke exposure rate for adults above the age of 18 in indoor public areas from 27.8% in 2008 to 2.9% in 2022. Meanwhile, the secondhand smoke exposure rate in both indoor and outdoor public nonsmoking areas also decreased considerably, from 23.7% in 2008 to 4.0% in 2022. Bans on smoking have achieved a protective efficacy of 96% in preventing exposure to secondhand smoke through the designation of nonsmoking areas. Furthermore, the e-cigarette use rate among people over 18 was 1.4% in 2022, down from 1.7% in 2020 (for more statistics from the Health Promotion and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance for people over the age of 18, please refer to the HPA’s Statistics of Health Promotion).

Fifteen years after the 2009 amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, it was recognized that there was a regulatory deficiency in addressing e-cigarettes and other new varieties of tobacco products that were increasingly harming public health, especially among adolescents. Consequently, the Ministry of Health and Welfare initiated another amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. Its third and final reading by the Legislative Yuan on January 12, 2023 was followed by presidential promulgation on February 15, 2023 and the Executive Yuan announcement of its implementation from March 22, 2023. Key points of the amendment include a comprehensive ban on the manufacture, import, sale, supply, display, advertisement, and use of all types of imitation tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Meanwhile, before manufacturing or importing designated tobacco products announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), manufacturers and importers shall apply to MOHW for the health risk assessment review. The essential components needed to be used in conjunction with the designated tobacco products will also be reviewed. Other key revisions include expanding smoking-free public places, both indoor and outdoor, to include universities, kindergartens, childcare centers, and home-based childcare facilities; banning smoking in bars and nightclubs except in indoor smoking rooms with independent air conditioning systems and separate compartment; raising the minimum smoking age to 20; expanding the area of health warning texts and images on tobacco packages shall not be less than 50% of each labeling surface; prohibiting the use of additives banned by the central competent authority; and with stiffened penalties for violations. The HPA collaborates with local governments to strengthen inspections of the market and the internet, imposing severe penalties on violators according to the law. At the same time, we continue to promote smoking-free workplaces and support corporate efforts in introducing smoking cessation services to the workplace.