Implemented on February 4, 2021, “Taoyuan City Electronic Cigarette Prevention Self-Government Ordinance” has been going on for a year. By February 4, 2022, there have been 60 thousand cases of inspection and counseling. Among them, 322 cases involved the violation of the Tobacco Prevention Act and Taoyuan City Electronic Cigarette Prevention Self-Government Ordinance. 148 cases were consumption of tobacco and illegal holding of electronic cigarettes by minors under 18, making up 45.9% of the cases. 102 cases were involved with the selling of electronic cigarettes in the form of cigarettes (31.6%), ranking second. The third highest cases were the smoking of electronic cigarettes in non-smoking areas, totaling 63 (19.5%). They were all penalized by the Department of Public Health or assigned for smoking cessation education.
The Department of Public Health, Taoyuan City expressed that it has been active in investigating the origin of tobacco supply to prevent adolescents from obtaining electronic cigarettes. From the date of its execution to February 4, 2022, the inspection of physical e-cigarette stores and monitoring of websites have been conducted. Inspection and counseling cases, totaling 10 thousand, were conducted. 111 of them violated related regulations, including 9 cases of supplying electronic cigarettes to minors under 18, and 102 cases of selling electronic cigarettes in the forms of cigarette (including 34 cases of penalization of physical stores, and 20 cases of penalization resulting from network monitoring). In addition, there were 48 cases involving the violation of the regulations in counties and cities outside Taoyuan. The Department of Public Health advocated again to remind tobacco vendors to pay more attention of the age of consumers and not to sell tobacco products to minors under 18 to avoid penalization. Moreover, adolescents and students should not circulate any tobacco products or electronic cigarettes, or electronic cigarette related tools among themselves. Violators will be fined NT$10,000–NT$50,000.
Director Wang Wen-Yen of the Department of Public Health expressed that the ingredients of electronic cigarettes are complex, with addictive substances. Drugs and nicotine may also be added to it, causing serious hazards to the human body. Moreover, the look and style of it changes in accordance with the latest fads. Young people may buy them easily on the internet and share them with peers. As the new semester has just begun, parents should pay more attention to their children’s use of their allowance, unusual behavior, and the friends they make on the internet to prevent them from smoking electronic cigarettes because of temptation and curiosity. If you have any questions, please dial the free quit smoking hotline at 0800-636363. Regarding promotional materials concerning tobacco (cigarette) hazards prevention, please check the No-smoking Web operated by the Department of Public Health, Taoyuan City Government.