A proposal to allow the online sale of alcohol would make it even more difficult for the government to prevent purchases by minors, three non-governmental groups said yesterday.
The Taiwanese Society of Addiction, Taiwan Alcoholism Prevention Association and Taiwan Against Drunk Driving issued a joint statement ahead of a public hearing tomorrow on a proposed amendment to Article 30 of the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act (菸酒管理法), which bans alcohol from being sold through vending machines or electronic platforms, or at post offices.
“On the basis of protecting the mental and physical health of children and young people, and preventing them from being harmed by alcohol, we are strongly against the proposed amendment,” they said.
Photo: Chen Hsin-yu, Taipei Times
The Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act (兒童及少年福利與權益保障法) bans the the sale or delivery of cigarettes, alcohol or betel nuts to people under the age of 18.
The groups said that despite the law, the government did not hold a restaurant responsible for allegedly selling alcohol to a 16-year-old high-school student, who they said drowned in the Tamsui River (淡水河) while intoxicated.
A 2019 Health Promotion Administration survey showed that more than 70 percent of teenagers reported having consumed alcohol, with more than 40 percent saying they bought the alcohol themselves, the groups said.
A 2013 Consumers’ Foundation report said that 80 percent of the convenience stores it investigated in 14 cities and counties sold alcohol to minors, the associations said, adding that teenagers mainly buy alcohol from stores.
Underage alcohol consumption can lead to various health issues, such as impaired brain development, decreased memory and concentration, reproductive system diseases, sleep disorders, obesity and alcohol addiction, they said.
Adolescents’ brains are not fully developed, and consuming alcohol can lead to overdrinking and death, they said.
About 1.3 million young people worldwide die each year, with drinking being one of the main causes, they said, citing WHO data from 2012.
Data from the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction also showed that the risk of alcohol addiction is higher for 14-year-olds than for 21-year-olds, with the risk being seven times higher than that of adults, they said.
Over the past five years, 1,211 teenagers in Taiwan were killed or injured in drunk-driving incidents, and the number is rising every year, they said.
While legislators and alcohol industry advocates say that age verification over the Internet is possible, the Financial Supervisory Commission has said the age of the person making the purchase cannot be identified if the payment was made by credit card or another form of electronic payment, the associations said.
In 2012, a US study found that 45 percent of minors successfully purchased alcohol online, they said.
Countries that allow online sales of alcohol have formulated their own policies and laws to regulate the process, they said.
“Places currently selling alcohol in Taiwan have not thoroughly implemented age verification policies. Once online alcohol sales are opened, it will increase the risk of young people obtaining alcohol, which could lead to a rise in alcoholism and drunk-driving incidents among young people,” they said.
In January, an online e-commerce company was fined multiple times for illegally selling alcohol on the Internet, but the operator continued to flout the law, they said.
“Business owners are now lobbying to have the law amended. They only focus on commercial interests, and ignore the physical and mental harm caused by alcohol use among young people,” they said.
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
RSS