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DOH to combat smoking with new ash trays

The Department of Health (DOH) will work with local authorities to provide more places for smokers to dispose of their cigarette butts in light of the recent indoor smoking ban, a spokesman said yesterday.

DOH Public Relations Office chief Wang Che-chao (王哲超) said it appeared that street cigarette bins were in higher demand now that smoking had been forbidden in restaurants and KTV parlors.

Under the ban, public establishments are not allowed to provide ashtrays for customers.

“In the past, smokers could take their cigarette butts into a restaurant to dispose of them, but now they have to find a place outside,” Wang said.

However, he said that the move to install more bins should not be seen as encouraging smoking, rather as a transitional step to help smokers adapt to the ban.

“In the future, as people start smoking less, the problem will ease,” he said.

He said that in addition to helping prevent littering, the cigarette bins would also serve as a reminder for smokers to put out their cigarettes before entering non-smoking areas, thus enhancing public awareness of the ban.

The ban took effect on Jan. 11. Over the past two months, however, there have been many complaints about an increase in cigarette butts outside non-smoking premises and about exposure to second-hand smoke.

Under the terms of the ban, smoking is not allowed on public transport or inside most public premises, such as roofed bus or train stations, KTV parlors, Internet cafes, comic-book stores and offices manned by three or more people.

Smoking in prohibited areas can result in fines of up to NT$10,000 for the offender and NT$50,000 for the owner of the establishment.

The new law requires that prominent “no smoking” signs be posted at the entrances of such establishments, with fines of up to NT$30,000 for owners who fail to comply.

Vendors are not allowed to sell cigarettes to persons under 18 years of age, display cigarettes on shelves that are accessible to consumers or place cigarettes in vending machines. Violators can be fined up to NT$50,000.

Cigarette advertisements and cigarette promotions are also banned, with the fines for violations set at a maximum of NT$500,000 for vendors, NT$25 million (US$737,000) for cigarette companies and NT$1 million for the advertising media.

In the first month after the ban took effect, 76 offenders were fined, including a betel nut vendor in Taichung City who received a NT$100,000 penalty for offering free cigarettes to customers.
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