A pedestrian zone surrounding the Chianti Plaza in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) has been designated as the city’s first non-smoking commercial district.
The Taipei Department of Environmental Protection and the Taipei Department of Health yesterday jointly set up signs in the plaza, informing people that smoking is no longer permitted.
Starting in November, people who smoke in the non-smoking area would be fined between NT$2,000 and NT$10,000, while those who throw cigarette butts on the ground would be fined between NT$1,500 and NT$5,000.
Photo: CNA
Smoking is banned in the Chianti Plaza and the adjacent Songshou Plaza, as well as in the open spaces in front of the Breeze Center Songgao branch on Songgao Road and in front of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi’s A9 and A11 buildings on Songshou Road.
However, there are three designated smoking areas in the pedestrian zone, the agencies said.
The Taipei Department of Environmental Protection said that the commercial district is frequented by many people and that it hopes the new measure would end the prevalence of cigarette butts and mitigate the threat posed by secondhand smoke.
The department said that it would deploy inspectors to hand out tickets to people who smoke where they are not supposed to.
The Taipei Department of Health said that as the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (菸害防制法) does not prohibit people from smoking in arcades connected to commercial spaces, it hopes the non-smoking area will set an example for the establishment of more non-smoking zones.
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