Blanket prohibitions against smoking on university campuses have increased the risks of second-hand smoke, student groups said on Thursday, calling for changes to designate legal spaces for smoking.
A study of 30 universities and colleges that totally banned smoking on campus following the legislature’s passage of amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Control Act (菸害防制法) in 2023 showed that areas frequented by smokers have become more widespread, the groups told a news conference in Taipei.
Smoking in nearly 70 percent of the schools surveyed has spread around campuses’ periphery, National Chung Cheng University student Tsai Ching-hung (蔡璟鴻) said.
Photo copied by Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
The amount and diffusion of cigarette litter have surged since schools abolished designated smoking areas and removed ashtrays from campus grounds, he said.
More students and local residents reported being affected by second-hand smoke or cigarette litter than ever because the bans drove tobacco users to smoke in secluded locations, he said.
In contrast, National Chengchi University — which passed regulations allowing smoking in designated areas the same year — reported a reduction in second-hand smoke and improved cleanliness, said Ho Chieh-en (何傑恩), an alumnus and former student government member at the university.
Legislators amended the law without asking the opinion of college students who would be most affected by policy changes, resulting in counterproductive laws, he said.
The government’s anti-tobacco campaign stigmatized smokers and sowed discord in society, said Cheng Yu-fang (鄭羽芳), a student at National Taiwan University’s Graduate Institute of Building and Planning.
A sampling of social media frequented by college students revealed instances of hate speech against smokers, including posts claiming smokers “do not deserve rights” or calling them “human garbage that must be cleansed,” she said.
Lawmakers should rectify the mistakes made in the amendments by allowing student governments to reinstate smoking zones, she said.
Health authorities should change the tone of their anti-tobacco messaging to avoid inciting hostility toward the people their policies were supposed to help, Cheng said.
The Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy voiced doubts about the proposed amendment at the time, but the legislature turned a deaf ear, organization’s director Alice Yang (楊姿潁) said.
Lawmakers ignored differences in campus geography and truncated the public opinion solicitation process, she said.
The government’s inflexibility and failure to adapt policy to reality were to blame for the persistence of smoking-related problems, Yang added.
Better Together for NextGen Taiwan deputy chairman Lin Ssu-kai (林思愷) said the law went against the principle of university autonomy and its top-down approach to regulations.
University students and faculty should be included in major policy decisions that affect their lives, he added.
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
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
RSS