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Cigarette companies slammed for promotional tactics

Some cigarette companies are using their Web sites to recruit university students to try their products and earn money, according to reports in Chinese-language newspapers.

The reports say the companies are offering NT$800 or NT$1,000 to students who will smoke for four hours.

Department of Health officials say such tactics break the law.

David Weng (翁瑞亨), director-general of the Bureau of Health Promotion, said the companies have violated the Tobacco Hazards Act (菸害防制法) by posting ads offering jobs or discounts on the Bulletin Board System (BBS), a popular online forum on campus.

He said violators of the act could be fined between NT$100,000 and NT$300,000, while companies which are found to have violated the act three times could have their licenses to manufacture or import cigarettes revoked.

Anti-smoking activists have also complained about cigarette companies hiring female students to dress in sexy outfits and hand out cigarettes to people in pubs and other public venues in an attempt to expand their customer base.

Judy Lin (林清麗) of the John Tung Foundation (董氏基金會), an anti-tobacco group, said, compared with Western countries, Tai-wan's regulations on tobacco control are more relaxed and cigarette prices are lower.

She said the Tobacco Hazards Act should prohibit any behavior that might help increase the number of smokers and the law should be amended to keep pace with cigarette companies new marketing strategies.
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