In Taiwan, the smoking population is 4.5 million. About 20 percent of all deaths on the island are related to tobacco, reported the BPH.
Around 15,000 people die of smoking in Taiwan every year.
Smoking-related diseases cost the nation's annual health insurance almost NT$20 billion. Tobacco-related problems cost the nation's economy about NT$50 billion every year.
David Weng (翁瑞亨), director-general of the BPH, said the government has launched a series of measures to curb the spread of tobacco.
The measures include importing chewing gum that help smokers to quit the habit, creating non-smoking restaurants, opening hospital courses to help smokers quit the habit and launching a toll-free line (0800-571571) to help smokers.
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