The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should clarify the rules governing imports of heated tobacco products, so people do not attempt to bring them through customs only to have them confiscated, Democratic Progressive Party legislators Ho Chih-wei (何志偉) and Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) said yesterday.
While he does not encourage smoking, the IQOS tobacco heating system is a less harmful alternative to combustible cigarettes, Ho told a news conference in Taipei, citing a review of the product by the US Food and Drug Administration, which found that it produces lower levels of toxins than cigarettes.
Many people who cannot quit tobacco have switched to the new products, which have a much more subtle smell than traditional cigarettes, making them more acceptable for non-smokers, Ho said.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
However, some customs officers have confiscated heated tobacco products, even though they were declared, he said.
A man surnamed Liao (廖) told the news conference that he tried to import Heatsticks, but they were seized by customs officers, who could not provide him with a clear explanation as to what law he contravened.
An officer made him write a report “as if he were a drug smuggler,” Liao said.
The US agency has authorized the sale of heated tobacco products, and Taiwan should conduct a health risk assessment of the products to determine whether to allow them to be imported, Tsai said.
This would reduce the number of products circulating in the gray market and better safeguard public health, Tsai said.
Taiwan’s FDA should consult the Ministry of Finance to avoid forgoing potential tax revenue, he said.
Customs Administration Senior Auditor Chen Tai-ming (陳泰明) said that there is a lack of regulations over bringing heated tobacco products into the nation.
Even though it is not illegal, any such product shall be confiscated, Chen said.
Ko Ruei-chi (柯睿期), a section chief at the Health Promotion Administration’s Tobacco Control Division, said that internationally there is a lack of a standard testing procedure for assessing health risks posed by heated tobacco products.
Many studies suggest that the products still release toxins, he said.
Taiwan’s FDA should prepare a report on potential health issues associated with heated tobacco products within three months, Ho said.
Ko said it would do its best.
People who want to quit smoking should seek medical help rather than switching to emerging tobacco products, Ko said.
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