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Anti-smoking action needed: group

Anti-smoking civil groups yesterday called for stricter revisions to the Tobacco Control Act (菸害防治法) to slow tobacco consumption, hoping to have the draft introduced to the legislature today.

Unsatisfied with The Department of Health's proposal to raise the so-called "health tax" on cigarettes from NT$5 to NT$10 per pack, the John Tung Foundation and other four civil groups mapped out a draft of their own. They propose raising the tax on a pack of cigarettes to NT$15 per pack.

"The retail price of cigarettes in Taiwan is relatively low compared to those in the US and Europe," said Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), secretary-general of the Red Cross Society in Taiwan, who joined the John Tung Foundation in advocating a more vigorous clampdown on tobacco consumption.

Hau cited studies from the US Department of Health which indicated that a 10 percent increase in the retail price of cigarettes can drive down tobacco consumption to between 4 and 14 percent.

The John Tung Foundation, the largest anti-smoking non-profit organization in Taiwan, urged the government to do more to combat the health risks posed by tobacco.

"We welcome the official draft to increase the health tax levied on cigarettes. But we are also worried that the Cabinet might succumb to pressure from the tobacco industry," said the Foundation's executive director Huang Chen-tai (黃鎮台), referring to the the government's two-stage plan in revising the Tobacco Control Act.

In a bid to tailor the domestic laws to meet the requirements of the international treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the Cabinet proposed revising the law in stages. The first stage would involve banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship.

"We are concerned that the two-stage process will drag on forever. There is little doubt that the government might drag its feet in pushing forward the revision and therefore create more leverage for the tobacco industry," said foundation member Judy Lin (林清麗).

In the foundation's version of reforms, higher cigarette taxes, a ban on tobacco advertising and a larger warning message that should at least occupy 60 percent of the cigarette pack would be implemented all at the same time.

"If our version is ratified, the government will have no more excuses to procrastinate their fight against tobacco," Lin said.

Fearing delays in official anti-smoking efforts, John Tung Foundation had invited four other civil groups to lobby legislators across the political spectrum to introduce their bill.

Currently, the foundation won the support of 22 legislators. The group and its allies expressed confidence in winning the consent of another eight legislators, which would meet the minimum requirement for proposing a self-initiated bill in the legislature.

"Our draft will be on the agenda of the Legislative Yuan either [today] or Tuesday," said Lin.

The anti-smoking activists also invited over 50 civil groups to form a joint Taiwan Anti-tobacco Alliance, which would be a forceful government watchdog.
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