A tobacco control alliance on Friday urged the Ministry of Health and Welfare not to impede proposed regulations to ban flavored cigarettes or postpone implementing the policy.
The alliance asked whether the ministry was opposing the legislative resolution to “ban flavored cigarettes outright” after it on Aug. 9 unveiled a preview of proposed regulations to ban 27 types of chemicals from being used in products such as cigarettes, vapes and heat-not-burn devices.
Additives used in flavored cigarettes encourage younger customers and women to smoke by reducing the sharp smell produced by cigarettes, Action Alliance on Basic Education chairman Wang Han-yang (王瀚陽) said.
Photo: Lin Hsin-han, Taipei Times
Article 10 of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (菸害防制法) stipulates that additives prohibited by the central government should not be used in tobacco products, and legislators have agreed to ban all flavored cigarette products, he said.
The ministry in March last year proposed banning only four flavors — floral, fruit, chocolate and mint — which was challenged, as it did not cover the top 10 most frequently used flavors, Wang said.
However, after a delay of 16 months, the ministry proposed banning only 27 additives, instead of all flavored additives, saying that the move would be in line with US and EU practices, he said.
The alliance on Friday last week handed over a letter of petition signed by 173 civic groups to representatives of the ruling and opposition party caucuses.
“Does the ministry attempt to invalidate the legislative proposal to ban flavored cigarettes outright by prohibiting only 27 additives?” the letter asks.
“Can the ministry’s statement be substantiated when most regulations of the same kind in the US and the 27 EU nations are aimed at flavors of cigarettes, and the EU in particular has banned all flavored cigarettes that mask the taste and smell of tobacco?” it asks.
Saying that flavored cigarettes should be banned in line with President William Lai’s (賴清德) “Healthy Taiwan” plan, the group asked: “Why did the ministry prohibit only 27 additives, despite more than 1,200 different flavored additives having been reported by manufacturers in the industry?”
“Can the ministry also prohibit conceptual flavors invented by tobacco companies — ‘arctic air’ and ‘tropical breeze’ for example — solely by banning the additives?” it asked.
The Food and Drug Administration has personnel that inspect and impose fines for “abnormal smells or flavors of foods,” but the Health Promotion Administration says it cannot regulate cigarette flavors “simply by smelling,” the group said.
“Why does the ministry have such a disparate attitude toward tobacco companies?” it asked.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS