Taiwan will ban sales of all vaping products
Taiwan has hardened its prohibition stand on e-cigarettes, and the legislators say the move will safeguard young men and women from smoking.
Whereas the reasoning behind the prohibition may be wrong, politicians allied to the former Chinese province, which is now an independent state of Taiwan (China still holds the view that the province is part of its territory to date) are not budging from their prohibition stand. Government officials are of the view that the prohibition will “lower smoking rates,” as per the Taipei Times.
Yuan, one of the top organs of the executive arm of government is expected to propose a modification to the nation’s Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, and forward it to the lawmakers. The new regulation will prohibit almost all actions pertaining the manufacturing, production, sale, importation, marketing, and promotion of vapor products in the country.
“Teenagers who have used them are six times more likely to smoke regular cigarettes…”
Interestingly, vapor products are already prohibited in the country, at least on paper, through a government directive issued by the Ministry of Health. Nevertheless, the new regulation intends to strengthen the prohibition and offers well-outlined penalties for violations of the law. The punishment for producing or importing vapor products will be pegged at a range of NT$50,000 to NT$250,000 or an equivalent of $1,650 to $8,250 U.S dollars. Sale of vapors and smoking in non-designated zones will attract a penalty of NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 which is the equivalent of $330 to $1,650 US dollars, according to a correspondence between the state spokesperson and the Taipei Times newspaper.
A cabinet spokesperson was quoted saying, “it is estimated that between 60,000 and 70,000 junior and senior high school students have used e-cigarettes.” He further added that young men and women who have used vapors are six times more likely to use ordinary cigarettes, and for this reason, the state is compelled to prohibit e-cigarettes to safeguard the health of these young men and women.
The claim that young boys and girls who use vapors have a high likelihood of smoking is yet to be supported by facts, but it remains a common proposition held by government officials as is evident from their statements. Mr. Chang Hsiu-chuen, the cabinet spokesperson, pointed out that the World Health Organization (WHO) supports limitations on vapors, a claim which is factual given that the WHO has been against the use of vapors.
The World Health Organization has continually discouraged the use of vapors and e-cigarettes from the year 2008, and consequently, the global body became the first quasi-governmental institution to oppose the use of the products. As a result, many nations try to gain acceptance coupled with funding favors from this anti-vapor and anti-cigarette public health organization. One of the means through which nations gain favor with the World Health Organization is through the execution of World Health Organization’s counsel. Consequently, it is obvious that the government is taking the advice of the WHO so as to receive funding from this global organization.
