Agency warns of fines for illegal e-cigarette use, sales

Taiwan has not approved any electronic-cigarette products, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said, adding that users of heated tobacco products and vapes are subject to fines.

The agency’s latest warning came after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus early this month published security footage allegedly showing Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chuang Ruei-hsiung (莊瑞雄) using a heated tobacco product in the legislature’s corridors.

Novel tobacco and nicotine products cannot be used or distributed without government approval,

HPA Director-General Wu Chaochun (吳昭軍) said, citing the latest amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (菸害防制法).

The manufacture, import, sale, supply, display or advertisement of unauthorized novel tobacco products is punishable by a maximum fine of NT$5 million (US$152,263), while users may be fined NT$10,000, the act says.

The agency has received applications for authorization to use heated tobacco products from 12 commercial entities since the amendments went into effect in March last year, Wu said.

It has rejected the applications of eight companies, while two of the remaining four have been asked thrice to furnish additional information to complete the evaluation, he said.

The agency has tasked a panel of toxicology, public health and addiction experts to assess requests for authorized use of specific heated tobacco products, HPA Tobacco Control Division head Lo Su-ying (羅素英) said.

FAIR EVALUATION

The panel has so far convened 30 meetings and all applicants can expect a fair assessment if they provide all the requisite information, she said.

The evaluation process is unavoidably time-consuming as the agency’s main responsibility is to protect the health of children and the public and it has to enforce rigorous standards before accepting manufacturers’ claims, she said.

As a result, some companies were asked to provide additional data, which usually takes one to three months, she said.

Restrictions on the marketing and sales of novel tobacco products, tobacco tax collection and other regulatory matters would be duly considered after the evaluation of all applications is complete, Lo said.

Regional health authorities have been ordered to look into incidents of alleged heated tobacco use by politicians and celebrities as they arise, she said.