More than 70 percent of Taipei's citizens believe it is impossible to eliminate the sex industry in the city and 80 percent favor having designated areas for the industry, the results of a survey showed yesterday.
The survey was conducted between Jan. 15 and Feb. 28 this year by the Taipei City Government in conjunction with the Sun Yat-sen Institute for Social Sciences and Philosophy of Academia Sinica.
The respondents were a random sample of 1,036 Taipei citizens aged between 20 and 65.
While many poll respondents thought it was impossible to eliminate the sex industry, more than 50 percent said that the industry is a serious problem in the city.
As far as ways to manage the city's sex industry, more than 50 percent favored establishing a designated area where the industry would be allowed, while about 30 percent said that the sex industry could be dispersed between several designated areas.
Only 15 percent believed that the government should eliminate the sex industry completely.
Many of those who favored designated areas for the industry said they thought the Dutch model was acceptable.
Prostitution and brothels are legal in the Netherlands in areas designated by the government. Only licensed brothels may operate. Penalties for operating without a license are stiff.
In certain Dutch cities, brothels may operate in residential districts as long as they have the support of nearby residents.
The poll showed that more than 90 percent of Taipei residents opposed having brothels in residential districts.
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