While the majority of women in the country do not smoke, they make up the greatest number of victims of second-hand smoke, according to the Bureau of Health Promotion.
“Typically, women are exposed to second-hand smoke from their fathers during childhood, from their husbands after marriage and from their sons when they get older,” said Chiu Shu-ti (邱淑媞), director-general of the bureau.
While 96 percent of Taiwanese women do not smoke, 20.3 percent of females are exposed to second-hand smoke at home and in 85 percent of the cases, the source of the potential carcinogen is their fathers, Chiu said, citing a 2010 nationwide smoking survey.
The source of the second-hand smoke to which women are exposed differs with age, the poll found.
For those aged between 18 and 24 years, the main source of second-hand smoke tends to be their father; from 25 to 55, it is their husbands; and after 55, it becomes their sons, the poll showed.
Women are inhaling four or five times more second-hand smoke at home than in the workplace, Chiu said, adding that this amounts to “a form of domestic violence that puts women’s health at risk.”
Last month, a survey of 11-to-18-year-olds revealed that 20.4 percent of the group were exposed to second-hand smoke in the home and that their fathers were the source of the smoke in more than 70 percent of the cases.
The health bureau appealed to smokers to quit, not just for their own health, but also for the sake of their children.
Entertainer Hsu Feng (徐風), who starred in an anti-smoking campaign ad for the bureau, made a similar appeal.
Looking pale and drawn, Hsu said he suffers from cancer of the esophagus, mouth, lungs, trachea and pelvis as a result of smoking for more than 50 years.
Hsu said he started smoking in junior-high school and never stopped.
“My two younger brothers, who also smoked, died of nasopharyngeal and oral cancer,” he said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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