Anyone who wants to vape in Taiwan had better find something else to do. That’s because the Taiwanese government has suggested an amendment to the current legislation in force in the province. There is already a ban on using e-cigarettes, but the new amendments could see a complete ban on manufacturing, selling, and promoting all vaping products. Oh, and you can add a ban on importing them, too.
Reports state the government is adhering to advice provided by the World Health Organisation. A government spokesperson said that between 60,000 and 70,000 school students are thought to have used vaping products. The same spokesperson also reiterated the usual – and as-yet unproven – ‘fact’ that teens using vaping products are “six times more likely to smoke regular cigarettes”.
In contrast, there have been studies that indicate using e-cigarettes is around 99% safer (if not more) than using tobacco cigarettes. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Taiwanese government has failed to mention that study in their decision. While the province has already banned vaping in theory, a recent meeting with government members and local law enforcers was aimed at working out how to enforce the ban. Significant fines will be put in place to combat this, thereby detracting many from switching to e-cigarettes.
And yet research has also shown that e-cigs are a highly-successful quitting tool when used to help people quit smoking. One American study by the CDC showed cigarette smoking had been cut by 50% in just five years, while vaping had seen a huge increase in that same period.
This is surely bad news for Taiwanese people looking for a way to help them quit smoking. It certainly doesn’t look as though the government is eager to make things any easier for them. What’s your view on this development? Let us know in the comments.
