The government should overhaul the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (菸害防制法) in accordance with the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control and ban all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Friday, anti-smoking groups said yesterday.
The groups said the government has not done enough to tackle the country’s high cigarette consumption, especially among teenagers. They said that merely increasing the health and welfare surcharge on tobacco products, as stipulated by a recent amendment to the act, was not the right strategy.
The groups included the John Tung Foundation, the Homemakers United Foundation, the National Federation of Teachers Unions and the Taiwan International Medical Alliance
Photo: CNA
“The recent amendment to the act has implemented a higher tobacco surcharge, but smoking prevention is not just about taxing consumption,” John Tung Foundation chief executive officer Yau Sea-wain (姚思遠) said.
He added that the tobacco industry should be the main target of government prevention measures, particularly by implementing policies to rein in the industry’s marketing tactics.
National Federation of Teachers Unions secretary-general Lee Ya-ching (李雅菁) said that health warnings on cigarette packaging in Taiwan are the smallest and most moderate among the 63 countries that display such warnings, occupying only 35 percent of packaging.
“Public displays of tobacco products should also be banned,” Lee said. “Taiwan has more than 10,000 convenience stores that are open 24 hours a day, all with a wall displaying colorful cigarette packs behind the cashier. These displays are implicitly inciting young people to consume the products as smokers do not need the display to determine what they need.”
Homemakers United Foundation chairperson Chen Man-li (陳曼麗) said that while the smoking rate among adults decreased from 20 percent in 2009 to 9.1 percent in 2011 — after smoking bans in indoor public spaces and workplaces were implemented and the tobacco tax raised by 10 percent — total cigarette consumption increased from 2.018 billion packs to 2.022 billion in the same period.
“Who consumed the extra cigarettes?” Chen asked, saying it was teenagers who accounted for the rise in consumption, as smoking rates in that age group remained relatively unchanged during the two-year period.
Taiwan International Medical Alliance secretary-general Huang Song-lih (黃嵩立) said tobacco advertising and promotion has not been effectively regulated.
“The packaging itself is a type of advertisement,” said Huang, urging the government to introduce tougher packaging regulations and ban tobacco sponsorship to curb tobacco industry lobbying.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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